KABUL (Pajhwok): Acting Mining and Petroleum Minister ShahabuddinDilawar has termed the auctioning of mining contacts a failed attempt and said in order to ensure transparency, laws of the previous government are still being implemented in the ministry.
Key points of Pajhwok Afghan News exclusive interview with Shaikhul Hadith ShahabuddinDilawar, acting minister of mining and petroleum.
Previous government laws are still implemented in the mining ministry
We tried the auction process for one contract which was a failed attempt, now contracts are issued through bidding
In order to ensure transparency, mining contracts bidding is carried out in front of media persons
New government policy is that illegal mining will be fully stopped
Individual stealing state property is a thieve, a national thieve and national traitor
Foreign aid is tied with bitter policies, our country is rich and we should depend on ourselves
After the takeover of new government, the mining ministry collected over five billion afs revenue
Complete interview
Pajhwok: Afghanistan is rich in natural resource and people expect that the untapped natural reserve will help strengthen the country’s economy, what is you view how long it will take for Afghanistan mining sector to strengthen the country’s economy?
Dilawar: My personal view is that Afghanistan is a rich country in the region, we should not link poverty and richness to foreign aid, poverty or richness should be judged from the national assets. If we look towards foreigners and think that we will be rich if they provide us with more cash and if they halt the cash assistance then we will become poor then we will remain poor forever because foreign assistance are never permanent and tied to unpleasant agenda.
I can claim that Afghanistan is one of the richest countries in the world provided that if we consider ourselves independent and rely on ourselves.
You may compare that previous government in eight months collected over 111 million afs in revenue from mining sector. We in the past four months collected four to five billion afs in revenue, this revenue excluded the benefits that will come from our new contracts.
This revenue is generated from mines that were auctioned by previous administration and we controlled, managed their activities and stopped unfair activities thus it generated up to five billion afs in four months.
If we ensure transparency and work with strong commitment and determination Afghanistan will soon stand on its feet.
Pajhwok: Would you please elaborate new contracts signed by the new administration
Dilawar: Up to 20 contracts awarded to private companies in small –scale mining but they did not start excavation.
Pajhwok: Currently, through which law the ministry is awarding mining contracts? Former laws or is there a new law?
Dilawar: In line with the cabinet instruction, the previous administration laws are being implemented in the ministry but if there is any article against Islamic Sharia or national interest, we will amend it, one thing that we added is open bidding process in front of media to ensure transparency and fairness.
Pajhwok: Would you please elaborate open bidding in front of media?
Dilawar: The process is that our technical team conducts a survey of a mine, then we divide it in blocks and give its announcement. During announcement period, we collect proposals and applications then we have a committee that give marks to proposals and successful proposal holders are invited for bidding. In front of media person bidders are distributed white papers in which they could write the contract value and then they put their papers inside a box and the highest rate wins the contract.
Pajhwok: Is this process you explained is present in the law?
Dilawar: We have added this amendment to the law in order to ensure transparency.
Pajhwok: Is this auction or bidding you are conducting?
Dilawar: No it is not auction, this is bidding
Pajhwok: Have you conducted auctioning process?
Dilawar: Once we conducted auction and that process failed.
Pajhwok: What is difference between auction and bidding
Dilawar: In auction the price goes up multiple times until it reach to the highest rate but in bidding there one chance and everyone write its price and put the paper in the box.
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