GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Residents of southeastern Paktia province say firewood prices have sharply increased compared to its last year’s rate and they cannot afford to purchase it.
Faizullah, an inhabitant of the provincial capital, told Pajhwok Afghan News that firewood prices had increased and many people, including him, could not cannot afford to purchase it.
He said: “Last year, 0.49 tons of wood was sold for 6,000 afghanis, but now its price has jumped to 18,000 afghanis and many people, including him, could not afford to buy it.
In response to a question, he said the government had banned cutting woods from mountains and that was why its prices had skyrocketed.
Yousaf, another resident, was also concerned about high prices of wood and said the government should address this problem.
He said: “The weather is very cold here, the prices of wood are very high this year. I came to the general market of wood al, but wood which was sold for 5,000 afghanis last year, this year its price has jumped to 8,000 afghanis, which is beyond our reach.”
Meanwhile, Malim Jan, a seller of wood in Garder, told Pajhwok the prices of wood increased this year and the people could not afford to buy it.
He added: “When wood from mountains was banned, its prices also increased, so many poor people burn papers to heat up their homes.”
People living in mountains were in trouble after the ban on wood ase they met their daily needs by selling wood.
Some other residents also made similar complaints and asked the government to resolve this problem.
On the other hand, Paktia deputy governor Maulvi Inamullah Salahuddin told Pajhwok about 10,000 tons of coal was shifted to the provincial capital in cooperation with s private company to address this problem.
He added: “The Department of Mines and Petroleum has inked an agreement with a private company to bring about 10,000 tons of coal to solve this problem.”
kk/ma
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