Flour prices down, gold surge in Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): The price of Kazakh flour declined while that of gold surged during the outgoing week in Kabul, market sources said on Saturday.

Zmarai Safi, head of the Food Traders’ Association, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the price of a 49 kilogram bag of Kazakh flour decreased from 1,550 afghanis to 1,500afs.

He linked the decrease with increased imports of Kazakh flour into Kabul markets.

However, he said the prices of other essential food items remained unchanged as a 24-kg of Pakistani rice cost 3,000, 16 litre of Malaysian cooking oil 2,100afs, a 49-kg sack of Indian sugar 2,400afs, one kilogram of African black tea 380afs and the same quantity of Indonesian green tea 350afs.

He noted that in some cases retail prices differed slightly from wholesale prices, while in others the difference was more significant.

Hamid Sufizada, a retailer at Dahna-i-Bagh market, put the retail price of a 49-kg bag of Kazakh flour at 1,550afs, a 24-kg bag of Pakistani rice at 3,050afs and a 49-kg sack of Indian sugar at 2,450afs.

A 16-litre bottle of cooking oil accounted for 2,150afs, one kilogram of black tea for 430afs and the same quantity of green tea for 400afs, he added.

Gold prices

Mohammad Fawad, a jeweller in Timor Shahi area, said the price of one gram of Arabian gold went up from 7,250afs to 7,300afs and the same amount of the Russian variety surged from 5,730afs to 5,780afs.

Gold dealers say fluctuations in local gold prices are linked to changes in international markets.

Fuel prices

A worker at the Ahmadyar pump station told Pajhwok the price of one litre of petrol stayed stable at 63afs and diesel at 63.

Mohammad Jan Amin, a shopkeeper in the Dahan Bagh area of Kabul, said the price of one kilogram of liquefied cost 54afs.

Currency rates

Haji Mohammad Hussain, owner of the Sadaqat Money Exchange Service, said one US dollar traded for 66.30afs, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees exchanged for 225afs.

During the previous week, one US dollar consumed 66.20afs and 1,000 Pakistani rupees 225afs.

kk/ma