Sugar, flour, gold prices up in Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): The prices of Indian sugar, Kazakh flour and Arabic gold surged, while cooking oil, fuel and Russian gold declined in outgoing week in Kabul, market sources said on Saturday.

Food items

Zmarai Safi, head of the Food Traders’ Association, said that the price of a 49-kg sack of Kazakh flour went up from 1,450afs to 1,470afs, 49-kg of sack of Indian sugar from 2,350afs to 2,400afs.

But a 16-litre bottle of Malaysian cooking oil decreased from 1,900afs 1,850afs.

However, he said the prices of other essential food items remained unchanged as a 24- kilogramme of Indian rice remained unchanged at 3,000afs, 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 1,520afs, 24-kg bag of Indian rice at 3,050 and a 49-kg sack of Indian sugar at 2,450afs.

A 16-litre bottle of cooking oil accounted for 1,900afs, one kilogram of black tea for 400afs and the same quantity of green tea for 430afs, he added.

A worker at the Ahmadyar pump station told Pajhwok Afghan News the price of one litre of petrol decreased from 57afs to 56afs and one litre of diesel from 57 to 56afs.

Mohammad Jan Amin, a shopkeeper in the Dahan Bagh area of Kabul, said the price of one kilogramme of liquefied decreased from 52afs to 49afs.

Gold prices

Mohammad Fawad, a jeweller in Timor Shahi area, said the price of one gram of Arabian gold increased from 8,170afs to 8,350afs and the same amount of the Russian variety decreased from 6,500afs to 6,350afs.

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 64.50afs, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees exchanged for 215afs.

During the previous week, one US dollar consumed 63.25afs and 1,000 Pakistani rupees 215afs.

hz/sa