Kapisa Tourmaline; National Wealth or Plunder of Afghan Resources?
Claims of Kapisa Tourmaline Mining Start; Concerns Over Transparency and the Fate of Natural Resources Increased
Kabul Times News | Kapisa
Reports and claims published indicate that the process of extracting the tourmaline mine “Al-Sai” in Kapisa Province has begun and it is said that this project is being implemented in cooperation with Chinese companies.
According to these claims, tourmaline is one of the most precious and valuable stones in the world and its high-quality samples are highly valued in global markets. It has also been claimed that the price of each gram of medium-quality tourmaline in global markets can reach up to about $250, although the value of this stone varies depending on its quality, color, transparency, and market demand.
Meanwhile, a number of residents of Kapisa Province have expressed concerns about the way this mine is being extracted. They claim that after mining in Panjshir, Badakhshan and Takhar provinces, Kapisa’s mineral resources are now being exploited without sufficient transparency and have demanded details of contracts, income and how the revenues from these mines are spent.
Critics emphasize that Afghanistan’s natural resources belong to all the people of this country and any mining and transfer of mines must be done with transparency, accountability and in line with national interests.
As of the publication of this report, the Afghan authorities and the Chinese parties have not issued an official response to these claims and the details of the tourmaline mining project in Kapisa, and Kabul Times News is also unable to independently verify these claims.
Kapisa Tourmaline; National Wealth or Plunder of Afghan Resources?
