Helmandis given 10 days to stop using rupees

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): The governor of southern Helmand province has warned people against using Pakistani rupees for transitions in next 10 days.

Governor Mohammad Yasin Khan said people who continued to use Pakistani rupees beyond the deadline would be brought to justice.

Addressing a meeting in Lashkargah, the provincial capital, today Khan said all transactions should be in the Afghan currency beyond January 30.

“Those who continue using Pakistani rupees after this deadline will get their businesses stopped and money confiscated, he added.

Haji Mohammad Hanif Achakzai, a moneychanger, said that Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) lacked enough Afghan currency notes in the province to replace all foreign currency.

He said all businesspeople in the province used Pakistani rupees and moneychangers should be provided enough Afghan currency notes before the campaign was pushed ahead.

Haji Khan Aka, head of Moneychangers Union in Helmand, also said that there were no enough afghani banknotes in the province and businesses would stop if transactions in Pakistani rupees were prevented.

He asked the government to distribute afghani banknotes to moneychangers before launching the campaign.

Transactions in Pakistani rupee has also been recently banned in Khost, Nangarhar, Laghman, Paktia and Ghazni provinces.

mds/ma