Afghani improves, some essential food items prices’ down

KABUL (Pajhwok): The afghani improved against the US dollar last week that saw the prices of sugar, flour, cooking oil and fuel dipping in Kabul, market sources said on Saturday.

Haji Hussain, owner of Sadaqat Money Exchange Service, said one US dollar was traded at 69.70afs and 1,000 Pakistani rupees consumed 245afs compared to their last week’s 70.20afs and 248afs respectively.

Hussain called regular injection of dollars into the market by the central bank and the inauguration of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.

Meanwhile, Haji Mohammad Tahir Qayumi, deputy head of the country’s largest money-changing market Sara-i-Shahzada, also said the afghani gained some ground against the US currency due to the inauguration of practical work on the TAPI project and the expansion of the IEA interaction with the world.

He added that it was fruits’ harvest season, especially grape harvest, when the Afghan currency became more stable against the US dollar.

Fuel prices

A worker at the Ahmadyar pump station told Pajhwok said the price of petrol decreased from 63afs to 61afs and diesel from 66afs to 64afs.

Mohammad Sharif, a liquefied gas seller in Kolola Pushta neighborhood, said the price of a kilogram of the commodity was sold for 50afs.

Food items

Zmarai Safi, head of the Food Traders’ Association, said the prices of a 49-kilogram sack of Kazakhstani flour decreased from 1,580afs to 1,550afs, a 49-kilogram Indian sugar from 2,550afs to 2,500afs, a 16-litre cooking oil from 1,450afs to 1,430afs.

But, a 24-kilogarm bag of Pakistani rice cost 2,600afs, and a kilogram of African black tea 400afs and the same amount of Indonesian green tea f350afs, registering no change in their prices.

Hamid Sufizada, a retailer at Dehna-i-Bagh Market, put the retail price of a 49-kilogram bag of Kazakh flour at 1,600afs, a 24-kg bag of Pakistani rice at 2,650afs and a 49-kg sack of Indian sugar at 2,550afs.

A 16-litre bottle of cooking oil accounted for 1,480afs, one kilogram of black tea for 400afs and the same quantity of green tea for 450afs, he added.

Gold prices

Mohammad Fawad, a jeweler in Timor Shahi area, said the price of one gram of Arabian gold jumped from 4,650afs to 4,800afs and the same amount of the Russian variety from 3,650afs to 3,800afs.

sa/ma