Afghani edges up, gold down

KABUL): Reversing an earlier dip, the afghani edged up against the US dollar in Kabul during the outgoing week, when gold prices fell and fuel rates jumped, dealers said on Thursday.

Rates of other daily-use commodities stayed unchanged during the week that saw the price of petrol increasing from 58afs to 60afs a litre and diesel from 63 afs to 64afs, said Frotan, a filling station official in the Macro Ryan locality. He linked the surge to cuts in imports.

However, a gas dealer in the Deh Afghanan area, Waleed, told Pajhwok Afghan News one kg of liquefied gas sold for 50afs, the same rate as last week.

Meanwhile, daily-use items stayed unchanged, as a 24kg bag of Pakistani rice cost 1,700afs and a 50kg bag of sugar 1,700afs, according to Fazl Rahman, the Food Traders’ Union chief.

But the rate of a 49kg sack of flour edged down from 1,220 to 1,200afs during the week, he said.

Abdul Basir, a jeweller in the Lycee-i-Maryam neighbourhood, said the price of one gram of Arabian gold declined from 2,200afs to 2,100afs and the same quantity of the Iranian variety from 1,800afs to 1,750afs.

Ahmad Shah, a moneychanger in the Sarai Shahzada money market, put the exchange rate of one US dollar at 56.10afs and 1,000 Pakistan rupees at 546afs. Last week, one dollar’s value stood at 57afs while 1,000 Pakistani rupees accounted for 545afs.

mrh/ma/mud