Fuel prices down, gold up in Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): The prices of fuel and cooking oil declined, while gold surged in outgoing week in Kabul markets, market sources said on Saturday.

A worker at the Ahmadyar pump station told Pajhwok Afghan News the price of one litre of petrol went down from 59afs to 57afs and one litre diesel from 60afs to 57afs.

Mohammad Jan Amin, a shopkeeper in the Dahan Bagh area of Kabul, said the price of one kilogram of liquefied gas decreased from 54afs to 52afs.

Traders attributed the decline to lower global fuel prices.

Food items

Zmarai Safi, head of the Food Traders’ Association, said that the price of a 16-litre bottle of Malaysian cooking oil decreased from 1,950afs to 1,900afs.

He linked the decline due to increased imports.

However, he said the prices of other essential food items remained unchanged as a 49-kilogramme sack of Kazakh flour cost 1,450afs, 24-kilogramme of Pakistani rice at 4,500afs, 49kg of sack of Indian sugar at 2,400afs, one kilogramme of African black tea at 380afs and the same quantity of 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 4,550afs, 24-kg of Indian rice 2,650afs and a 49-kg sack of Indian sugar at 2,650afs.

A 16-litre bottle of cooking oil accounted for 1,950afs, one kilogram of black tea for 400afs and the same quantity of green tea for 430afs, he added.

Gold prices

Mohammad Fawad, a jeweller in Timor Shahi area, said the price of one gram of Arabian gold went up from 8,050afs to 8,200afs and the same amount of the Russian variety increased from 6,400afs to 6,510afs.

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 63.60afs, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees exchanged for 215afs.

During the previous week, one US dollar consumed 64.70afs and 1,000 Pakistani rupees 220afs.

kk/sa