Afghan government on Monday signed nine amended contracts with private companies involving reduction in royalty rate for marble extraction.
The amendment has also removes legal and technical problems the companies had been facing.
The companies are expected to present their mining plans to the ministry of mines and petroleum within a month.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Nargis Nehan, the acting minister of mines and petroleum, said that work on three large-scale mining contracts had been finalized and that investors were expected to invest on the projects including cement, talc and marble.
The projects are expected to cost $350 million.
On the fall of Lapis Lazuli deposit in northern Badakhshan province to the Taliban, Nehan said that dispute among local commanders facilitated presence of the militants in the area.
Afghanistan gains nearly seven billion afghanis annually from mine extraction, but the mineral wealth is largely being looted by strongmen and militants.
