Petrol, diesel prices down in Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): The prices of flour, cooking oil, petrol, diesel and gold declined, while Pakistani rice and liquefied gas surged in 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 sack of Kazakh flour went down from 1,470 afghanis to 1,450afs and a 16-litre bottle of Malaysian cooking oil decreased from 2,150afs to 2,100afs.

He linked the decline to increased import into Kabul markets.

However, he said the price of a 24-kg bag of Pakistani rice surged from 3,400afs to 3,500afs.

He attributed the rise to the closure of trade routes between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Safi added the wholesale price a 49-kilogram bag of Indian sugar remained unchanged at 2,400afs, one kilogram of African black tea sold 380afs and the same quantity Indonesian green tea at 350afs.

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

Hamid Sufizada, a retailer at Dahna-i-Bagh market, put the retail price of a 49-kg bag of Kazakh flour at 1,500afs, a 24-kg bag of Pakistani rice at 3,550afs 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.

Fuel prices

A worker at the Ahmadyar pump station told Pajhwok the price of one litre of petrol went down from 62afs to 61afs and one litre diesel from 63afs to 59afs.

He said the decline followed the reopening of the Salang highway and a fall in global fuel prices, which also affected Kabul markets.

However, Mohammad Jan Amin, a shopkeeper in the Dahan Bagh area of Kabul, said the price of one kilogram of liquefied gas surged from 54afs to 56afs.

He attributed the increase to colder weather and rising demand for liquefied gas.

Gold prices

Mohammad Fawad, a jeweller in Timor Shahi area, said the price of one gram of Arabian gold decreased from 7,500afs to 7,300afs and the same amount of the Russian variety declined from 5,950afs to 5,760afs.

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

Currency rates

Haji Mohammad Hussain, owner of the Sadaqat Money Exchange Service, said one US dollar traded for 66afs, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees exchanged for 224afs.

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

kk/sa