Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) has announced that investors have to seek permission from this Ministry to export coal abroad.
In a statement posted on X Monday, the Taliban Ministry stated that investors are not allowed to export coal outside the country unless they are granted prior written permission.
This decision will be effective after October 23, 2023, the statement said, adding that until then investors are allowed to maintain a normal routine.
The Ministry did not provide further details.
Afghanistan has significant deposits of coal, primarily in the central and northern provinces and it was a vital source of finance for the Taliban during their insurgency and has become of strategic importance after they overtook power two years ago.
Since then, coal exports have hiked and so have coal prices, allowing the Taliban to benefit from heavy tax collection, like many other valuable natural resources, to generate revenue.
The group increased coal exports to 1.8 million tons in the past year, with an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 tons exported per day, mostly to Pakistan. The Taliban authorities also lifted prices for coal from $90 per ton to $200, with 30% being collected as tax.
In February, the Taliban’s Ministry of Finance claimed that 2.7 million tons of coal exports generated 12.1 billion AFN ($135,972,177)—an increase of 10 billion AFN ($112,373,700) compared to the previous year.
