Prices stay high despite afghani’s rise: Kunar residents

ASADABAD (Pajhwok): Some residents of eastern Kunar province complain that despite the rise in the afghani’s value against the US dollar, prices of food and other daily-use items remain high.

Sangar Rahmani, a resident of the Damkali area of Asadabad, told Pajhwok Afghan News although the dollar’s rate had been slumping, no change had been seen in prices of essential commodities.

“Previously, traders would say they conducted transactions in dollars. Now that the greenback’s value has fallen, prices should also come down,” Rahmani added.

He urged the government to control rates of basic items in the market and ensure commodity sales on the basis of the price list displayed at shops.

Rahmanullah, an inhabitant of the Karhali area of the provincial capital, grumbled the prices of food and non-food items were so high that commoners could not afford to purchase them.

“We are poor and cannot buy essential items at prohibitively high prices. A 50-kilogram bag of flour that cost 1,450 to 1,500afs is now sold for 1,700afs. Per seven kilograms of beans used to cost 400afs, but now it the price has jumped to 600afs. If we don’t have money how can we purchase these things?” he asked.

Meanwhile, trade union representatives in the province linked unchanged price of basic items to their high transportation cost.

Haji Syed Azim, head of the trade union in Asadabad, argued after the closure of the Salang highway and delays in the transfer of commercial goods via Torkham, prices had increased.

Azim explained: “Since the closure of Salang, we have been transporting trade goods through the Shebar route. That’s why prices of commodities have gone up especially flour.”

He recalled they used to transport a tonne of commercial goods from Peshawar via Torkham for 100,000 rupees. But currently the cost has tripled to 300,000 rupees.

He added the prices of fuel and food items had also gone up, with the drop in dollar’s rate having no impact on them.

Qari Ziaullah, the head of the Chamber of Commerce in Kunar, also tied the spike in prices to the closure of Salang highway and non-fixing of prices at ports.

The government should fix and control the prices of goods when they were transported from ports and transferred from one province to another, he suggested.

Maulvi Atiqullah, the mayor of Asadabad, said that although they controlled the prices through a special commission, the main reason for the surge was the delay in goods clearance in Torkham and the closure of the Salang highway.

In recent months, the value of one US dollar has dropped from 80afs to 66afs. However, it has not brought about a decline in prices.

sa/mud