Kabul butchers flouting municipality’s price list

KABUL (Pajhwok): Butchers in Kabul City sell meat nearly seven percent higher than the price fixed by the municipality, Pajhwok has learnt reliably.

The Price and Hording Control Commission of the Kabul Municipality, distributed price lists to butchers across the capital seven days ago.

According to the price list, the rate of one kilogram of lamb meat is 450afs, calf meat 420afs, cow meat with bones 350afs and cow meat without bones 450afs.

A Pajhwok Afghan News reporter visited several butcheries in the capital city and ascertained the actual selling prices of different types of meat.

Pajhwok’s findings’ show butchers sell meat against municipality-set price list. One kilogram of lamb meat was sold for 500afs, calf meat for 450afs, cow meat with bones for 450afs and without bones for 500afs.

Butchers insist if they sell meat based on the municipality price list, they will suffer losses because prices are high in the cattle market.

Citizen complaints

Bibi Rahila, a resident of 3^rd Macro Ryan, complained about the higher price of meat than the list released by the municipality.

“Today I went to butchery and saw the price list issued by the municipality. The meat was sold higher than the price list. I asked the butcher why he was selling the meat at a higher rate. He replied they will suffer losses if they go by the price list.”

She urged the municipality to rein in the prices and take legal action against violators of the list.

Ahmad Sayar Nabizada, a resident of Taimani, also alleged butchers sold meat against the prices fixed by the municipality.

He commented: “The price list set by the municipality is very good, but it is not being implemented. A monitoring team is needed to oversee prices.”

On the other hand, butchers say prices of animals are high in the market and they will suffer a lost if they comply with the municipality price list.

Gulab Shah, a butcher in the Kocha-i-Qasabi in Shahr-i-Naw neighbourhood, claimed they would incur losses if they went by the price.

While faulting the price list, he said: “We are not satisfied with the rates fixed. I want the municipality to go together with butchers and see prices of cattle and then fix meat rates.”

Citing a fall in their business during Ramadan, he recalled: “Previously, we used to sell 30 to 40 cows daily. Now we slaughter only five or six.”

Meanwhile, Qais Ghafari, a representative of Kabul-based butchers, said: “A few days ago, we received a notice from the municipality, requiring us to sell meat according to the price list. But as much as I know, this is not good enough.”

He called the price list detrimental to the butchers’ interests, suggesting the municipality should appoint a committee to visit cattle-sale points along with butchers and set the list after surveying animal rates.

He said the new price list issued by the municipality at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan was detrimental to the butchers. For this reason, several butchers in Kabul have closed their shops in recent days.

But Niamatullah Barakzai, a representative of the Kabul Municipality, told Pajhwok the price list was always issued by the anti-hoarding commission.

He said representatives from the Ministries of Interior and Commerce and Industry, the Attorney General’s Office, Chamber of Commerce as well as trade unions were members of the commission.

He added when the price list was prepared, all issues such as taxes, transportation charges, warehouse costs and butcher profits were calculated and taken into consideration.

Barakzai said their investigation and control teams visited different areas of the city daily to monitor prices. Those violating the price lists would be dealt with according to the law, the official promised.

sa/mud

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