Local wood heaters’ price down, sales up in Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): Sellers of heaters in capital Kabul say the price of locally produced wood heaters has decreased, but that of Turkish heaters has surged with the arrival of winter.

Bismillah, a seller of domestic heaters in Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the sale of domestically produced wood heaters surged with the approach of winter.

He sold six to seven heaters daily. He said the price of one wood-fired heater decreased from 4,000 afghanis to 3,000 afghanis this year.

According to him, the price of one barrel heater was 3,800afs last year, but currently its rate has dropped to 2,800afs.

Mohammad Rashid, another heaters seller, also said that the price of locally produced heaters had decreased compared to their last year’s rates.

But Janat Gull, another heaters seller, said the price of Turkish heaters had jumped this year.

He added: “We sell a big Turkish heater for up to $250, the smaller one for $125, these prices show a 10 percent increase over last year’s prices.”

Most of Kabul residents use Turkish and locally produced heaters to heat homes in winter. Some residents say they cannot afford to purchase fuel such as firewood and coal because of poverty and unemployment.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says 79 percent of Afghans are unable to pay for heating their houses during winter.

Earlier, the caretaker government had said that efforts were underway to provide job opportunities to people.

aw/sa/ma