Taliban administration sells 156 kg of aquamarine in Wardak

The mines department in Wardak province, under Taliban administration, has announced that 156 kilograms of aquamarine stone, known as green ruby, have been sold for the first time through a voluntary process. According to the department, the value of the quantity was set at 240,000 afghanis.

Officials of the department did not publish further details about the buyers, the exact location of extraction or how the sales process was conducted. It was also not clarified how the revenue from the sale will be managed or in which sector it will be spent.

The Wardak mines department also said that 62 mining sites in the province have so far been surveyed and 22 sites have been contracted. The department gave no explanation about the contracting parties or the terms of these contracts.

Wardak is one of Afghanistan’s central provinces, where mineral resources are found in a number of areas. Aquamarine is one of the precious stones that attracts attention in local and regional markets.