KABUL - The Afghan Ministry of Mines on Saturday announced that incomes earned from mines have risen to 257 compared to last year.
The major resources of Afghanistan are still untouched and have not been awarded to anyone. The revenues from the third quarter of the year have increased to 257 percent. Only two billion and four hundred thousand Afghanis was the income from Ainak copper mine this year alone, the ministry added.
Manipulating small and medium mines is the reason of increase in the revenues, the ministry official said.

"If we add 44% to the incomes from Ainak mine, it increases to 257 percent," Jawad Omar, a spokesman for the ministry said.

As predicted by the ministry, by extraction of Ainak and Hajigak mines and Amu Darya oil zone, the revenues will increase to one billion dollars in the next five years.

This comes as the Afghan Ministry of Mines has recently awarded the exploration of Amu Darya oil zone to a Chinese state company.

The company will invest 700 million dollars in five years on Amu Darya oil zone.

The practical phase of exploration will start in 2012, the ministry added.