Australia supports mining governance in Afghanistan

[graveyardofempires]

March 25, 2011

Australia will share its mining expertise with Afghan public servants as part of Australia’s commitment to strengthen the Afghan Government.
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd met with the Afghan Minister of Mines, Mr Wahidullah Shahrani, who welcomed the scholarships that will enhance Afghan mining skills and knowledge.
“The surge in the Afghan mining sector has enormous potential to improve the country’s economic sustainability,” Mr Rudd said.
“Australia’s expertise in mining exploration, extraction, processing, transport, environmental protection and legislation has Australia well placed to offer specialised education in this area.”

Successful candidates will commence their post‐graduate scholarships at Australian universities in 2012.

Mr Rudd said

"it is hoped the Afghan public sector staff will return to senior managerial positions in the Afghan Government, where they will design and implement national mining policy".

“These new scholarships build on the efforts of Afghans such as Ms Ghazaal Habibyar who has previously won an Australia Awards scholarship. Ms Habibyar completed a Masters Degree in
International and Development Economics in December 2009 at the Australian National University and upon returning to Afghanistan, became the Director of Policy in the Afghan Ministry of Mines.
“Building skills through higher education is one of the best development investments we can make,” Mr Rudd said.
More than 100 Australian Development Scholarships have been offered to Afghans since 2009.
Australian F M Kevin Rudd welcomes Afghan Minister of Mines H.E. Wahidullah Shahrani on his visit to Australia.


Australia supports mining governance in Afghanistan

[gadoonwal]

thats good news.afghanistan is very rich in natural resources.

[graveyardofempires]

thats good news.afghanistan is very rich in natural resources.

can you explain why it is a good news that our resouces will be in the hands of foreigners?

[ghundal]

can you explain why it is a good news that our resouces will be in the hands of foreigners?

this is not acceptable at all. They will steal the wealth.

No one will dare take Afghan wealth, otherwise the people will make those mines disappear.

[gadoonwal]

can you explain why it is a good news that our resouces will be in the hands of foreigners?

ok,dose the afghan govt can do it without Foriegn help?
if the answer is yes then no need other countries.
I am aginst other using our sources but who will do it for you?
Ahmad wali karzai and faheem are becoming rich day by day with afghan money so do you expect anything from them?
At least the afghans will get chance to work and the country will get its share.
It is happening in many countries around the world.I wish we could do it .

[Bengal_Tiger]

Australia is saying that it will provide technical expertise to Afghans. They are not saying that they will exclusively operate mines and sell the resources.

These sort of deals are common all over the world. Of course the Australians will make some money - the whole purpose of business - but if it is a regular deal Afghans will make the bulk.

Even Britain woos foreign countries e.g. Japan to invest in the UK.

[gadoonwal]

this is not acceptable at all. They will steal the wealth.

No one will dare take Afghan wealth, otherwise the people will make those mines disappear.

what if pakistan got that ?
will you still support it?

where are the billions of dollars karzai and his gang of warlords got from the west?
what they have done for poor afghans?
No one wants others to steal their wealth .

[graveyardofempires]

Australia is saying that it will provide technical expertise to Afghans. They are not saying that they will exclusively operate mines and sell the resources.

These sort of deals are common all over the world. Of course the Australians will make some money - the whole purpose of business - but if it is a regular deal Afghans will make the bulk.

Even Britain woos foreign countries e.g. Japan to invest in the UK.

what does this mean?

Mr Rudd said

"it is hoped the Afghan public sector staff will return to senior managerial positions in the Afghan Government, where they will design and implement national mining policy".

[Bengal_Tiger]

Basically in many industries throughout the world locals do not know what to do, they do not have the scientists or engineers to make products or get resources.

Foreign companies train the locals. The locals then know what to do and take over.

Look at Saudi or the UAE, they have oil and western experts help them, but they are rich.

Bangladesh is in a similar position, we get help from foreign companies too.

[Bengal_Tiger]

US discovers $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan
June 14, 2010. Source Telegraph.co.uk by Ben Farmer in Kabul
Afghanistan has up to $1trillion (£690bn) worth of untapped mineral resources which could revolutionise the country's economy and perhaps even the war, American officials have said.

The country has long been known to harbour huge deposits of copper and iron, but the scale of resources is now believed to be far larger than previously thought. Huge seams of cobalt, gold and iron could turn Afghanistan into a world centre for mining, US officials hope.

Afghan officials believe the mining sector will eventually become the backbone of the now tiny Afghan economy and provide hundreds of thousands of jobs.

The economy is currently dominated by aid money and drug smuggling, raising fears the coalition's investments in building the Afghan army and state are ultimately unsustainable.

A thriving mining economy offers the chance of much-needed funding to the Afghan state, but would also need years to build up the infrastructure needed.

"There is stunning potential here," Gen David Petraeus, commander of the United States Central Command, told the New York Times. "There are a lot of ifs, of course, but I think potentially it is hugely significant."

Afghanistan's mineral wealth was mapped by the Soviets during the 1980s, but was never exploited. After discovering the Soviet data, the United States Geological Survey began a series of aerial surveys in 2006, using gravity and magnetic measuring instruments mounted in an old Navy aircraft.

The data was so promising, the geologists returned the following year using an old British bomber equipped with instruments to build a three-dimensional profile of mineral deposits below the earth's surface. Geologists are now finishing field studies in the hope they can start tender processes to attract bids from international mining firms. Jack Medlin, a geologist in the United States Geological Survey's international affairs programme, told the newspaper: "On the ground, it's very, very, promising. Actually, it's pretty amazing."

First analysis of a location in Ghazni province showed it had potentially the world's largest deposits of lithium, which is used in laptop batteries.

Early attempts to harness Afghanistan's mineral wealth have been hampered by corruption and poor security.

In 2008, the Chinese state-owned firm MCC signed the contract for one of the world's richest unexploited copper deposits at Aynak, 30 miles south of Kabul after paying a premium of £484 million. World Bank estimates suggest the Aynak mine alone could yield 100,000 tons a year, bring the Afghan government £240 million a year in taxes and create another 20,000 jobs. Muhammad Ibrahim Adel, minister for mines at the time, was later accused of taking a £20 bribe to award the contract. He denied the accusation, but lost his job. Early progress at the mine has been hampered by poor security and the ground breaking ceremony last July was conducted as helicopter gunships swooped overhead.

A tender last year for the 1.8 billion ton Hajigak iron ore deposit west of Kabul, which is estimated to be 62 per cent pure, and "world class" attracted five Indian firms, but stalled last year and has yet to restart.

http://gogeometry.com/mining/afghani..._map_news.html

[Bengal_Tiger]

what does this mean?

Mr Rudd said

"it is hoped the Afghan public sector staff will return to senior managerial positions in the Afghan Government, where they will design and implement national mining policy".

They have even more power since they will be even higher up in political decision making. Ultimatetly governments OK everything, companies can only lobby.

[graveyardofempires]

Basically in many industries throughout the world locals do not know what to do, they do not have the scientists or engineers to make products or get resources.

Foreign companies train the locals. The locals then know what to do and take over.

Look at Saudi or the UAE, they have oil and western experts help them, but they are rich.

Bangladesh is in a similar position, we get help from foreign companies too.

and they have military bases in those countries to protect their experties.
i have n oproblem if people are being generous with sharing their experties.

we have saying in Afghanistan : tail of the donkey has becone biger than the donkey himself.

[Bengal_Tiger]

The military bases aren't there to protect the expertise e.g. they weren't in Libya.

The US moved in initially because the Gulf Arabs were scared of Saddam and his huge army.

They are not in all the Gulf countries.

Plus Australia is not a global bully like the US.

We have projects like this in Bangladesh with the Japanese, South Koreans, Chinese and others helping us but also making money.

[faye]

this is not acceptable at all. They will steal the wealth.

No one will dare take Afghan wealth, otherwise the people will make those mines disappear.

there won't be any wealth to steal if nobody mines it.
would you prefer the pentagon to keep telling afghanistan who to do their deals with ie: their buddies?
australia is offering the education. is that not ok, that afghan people run their own mining resources or do you think only yourselves deserve to be getting that privilage of being educated in the west?

[graveyardofempires]

there won't be any wealth to steal if nobody mines it.
would you prefer the pentagon to keep telling afghanistan who to do their deals with ie: their buddies?
australia is offering the education. is that not ok, that afghan people run their own mining resources or do you think only yourselves deserve to be getting that privilage of being educated in the west?

what a joke

do you really think we dont have Afghan experts?

you think Afghans who have been living abroad are sleeping and havent done such education?


this notion "Afghans are cave dwellers who need us to spoon fed them" is just pro colonisation propaganda.

Australia needs to apologise for terrorising afghan nation and compensate for all the damage they have made.