For the first time the Chamber of Industries and Mines, as well as a center for processing and selling gem stones and minerals have been established in Badakhshan province.
During his visit to Badakhshan province, the acting Minister of Economy inaugurated the new chamber and the gem stone center.
The purpose of establishing this center is to process precious and semi-precious stones for sale on the national and international markets.
The acting minister of economy, Din Mohammad Hanif, said at the opening of the center that although millions of dollars had flowed into Afghanistan in recent years, no basic work had been done to make Afghanistan self sufficient.
Hanif said billions of dollars had been spent in recent years, but added that aid has not been effective in rescuing Afghanistan from financial dependence.
One example of this was that Afghanistan pays other countries $340 million for electricity.
“One is the opening of the Chamber of Industries and Mines, and second is the opening of the processing center, and we take this as a good omen, and the Badakhshan that you see is really hopeful, and we have to move forward step by step,” said Hanif.
The executive director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce says that Badakhshan has a huge assortment of gem stones and natural minerals, which will be processed through the new center and sold on both domestic and international markets.
“Badakhshan is one of the richest provinces in the world. In the past, people knew little about Badakhshan. Badakhshan has ruby and lapis lazuli, but you should know that in Badakhshan there are more expensive things which other countries do not have,” said Rahimullah Samandar, executive director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Residents of Badakhshan also hope that the establishment of this center and the extraction of natural resources, especially precious stones, will provide them with jobs and employment.
