Mobile phone, computer retailers worried about declining sales

KABUL (Pajhwok): Mobile phone and computer sellers in capital Kabul say their sales have fallen by more than 80 percent since the collapse of the previous administration.

Following the recent political changes in the country, the US froze the country's foreign exchange reserves, international aids was cut off and economic problems increased in Afghanistan.

Most vendors in the market are complaining about declining sales and income and are worried that their businesses would face stagnation if no improvements are made.

KarimullahNahibzai, marketing in-charge at Khaplwak Mobile Phone Company, talking to Pajhwok Afghan News said, "I have been working here since five years, we used to sell more than 20 mobile phones a day, but now we sell only two devices a day.”

He attributed the decline in sales to economic problems, an increase in the value of the dollar against the afghani and said that if the situation continued, most mobile phone businesses would collapse.

"Our demand from the Islamic Emirate is to increase the value of the Afghan currency against the dollar, the import of mobile sites from Dubai should be direct because it will allow the goods to reach the market sooner and prevent a lot of money from being spent."

Mohammad Issa Sahel, one of the mobile phone sellers in Shahr-i-Naw town of Kabul, said, "I have been working as mobile phone seller since last four years…, but since the last three months after regime change in the country, businesses totally declined and there are no sales and demand.”

"Previously, we would sell seven to fifteen mobile phones a day, but now we sell two or three mobile phones in a day," he added.

He said, “The main problem is the increasing value of dollar because we buy products in dollars, we have reduced the prices, but appreciation of the dollar is the problem.”

Ahmad Aimal, another mobile phone seller in Nader Pashton Market in Kabul, said, "I have been working here for almost five years. During this period, our sales have never been so low compared to now, most days there are no sales.”

He cites the deteriorating economic situation, declining support from the international community and the freezing of Afghanistan's foreign exchange reserves by the US as major factors behind the declining businesses.

"If the world recognizes the Afghan government, it would increase the value of afghani against US dollar and the government will self-sustain…,” he said.

He said, "In the past, we could sell about 70 to 80 mobile phones a day, but our maximum sale currently is 15 phones because people have no money, which is the main problem, blockade of people’s salaries with the government and increased value of the US dollar are other reasons people cannot buy.”

In addition to mobile phones, sales of computers have also declined.

GulWazirAhmadi, head of Sahel Yaser Trading Company in Kabul, said," We have been running our business in technology and computers since last10 years, before the fall of Ashraf Ghani’s administration, our business was good, but the current market is not good.”

He said that before the fall of the previous regime, they had sales amounting to $10,000 a day, but now their sales declined by more than 50 percent.

"Previously, we had contracts with government agencies such as ministries of finance, education, agriculture and private offices, ordinary people were also buying tech products, but we no longer have contracts with them, a limited number of non-governmental organizations which are still present do not buy expensive products or come rarely," he said.

Hafiz Gharibzadah, a worker at Cybernet Technology Company in Shahr-i-Naw town of Kabul, said that he was engaged in the business of tech since the last nine years but their sales had declined compared to the past.

"Previously, we had about five to six sales per day, and sometimes we had up to 20 sales based contracts; but now we have one sale in a week which is a big difference compared to the past,” he said.

He hoped that the problems in the country would be solved and the caretaker government would be recognized by the international community, as well as the frozen assets of Afghanistan freed to resolve economic problems in the country.

Mohammad MostafaAhmadzai, a computer salesman at Nader Pashtun Market in Kabul, said that he had been working in the market since the last 10 years but their sales declined in the last few years and now they had almost zero deals.

He also said that they had six to 10 sales in a day in the previous government but now they had one sale in a whole week. The reason is that people have no money, he added.

"We had four or five employees in our shop, but we have fired all of them because they were no longer needed and I am the only one in the shop," he said.

He also hoped that the country's economic situation will improve. If the situation continues, most businesses will collapse, economic problems will worsen and more people will lose their jobs, he added.

ZabihullahMujahid, spokesman for the government and deputy minister of information and culture, acknowledged the country's economic problems at a meeting in Kabul a few days ago, but said that the new administration would focus on responding to economic problems in the next six months.

mds/ma