KABUL (Pajhwok): The prices of sugar, fuel and gas increased, while flour and gold prices declined in Kabul over the past week, market sources said on Saturday.
Hikmatullah Muhammadi, an employee at a fuel station in the Wazirabad area of Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the price of one litre of petrol went up from 80afs to 87afs, while one litre of diesel increased from 75afs to 79afs.
Mohammad Jan Amin, a shopkeeper in the Dahan-i-Bagh area of Kabul, said the price of one kilogramme of liquefied gas increased from 67afs to 69afs.
Fuel sellers attributed the increase to higher global prices and the closure of the Salang route.
According to a previous Pajhwok report, on June 30 this year, the Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) announced that the Salang highway would be closed to tanker trucks from July 10 until further notice to accelerate major reconstruction work on the route.
The ministry had asked tanker truck drivers to transport their cargo before the closure.
Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, spokesman for MoPW, told Pajhwok that efforts were underway to complete the reconstruction before the winter season.
He said: “Work is currently under way in North Salang, including concrete paving, construction of retaining walls and other sections. In the southern section, from Gallery 15 towards Kabul, asphalt paving over concrete is under way in one section, alongside concrete paving work.”
Food prices
Zmarai Safi, head of the Food Traders’ Association, said the price of a 49kg bag of Indian sugar increased from 2,650afs to 2,700afs.
However, he said the price of a 49kg bag of Kazakh flour fell from 1,600afs to 1,550afs.
He said prices of other essential food items remained unchanged, with 24kg of Indian rice selling for 2,500afs, 16 litres of Malaysian cooking oil for 2,000afs, one kilogramme of African black tea for 380afs and one kilogramme of Indonesian green tea for 350afs.
He attributed the decline in flour prices to lower demand and increased imports.
He noted that retail prices differ slightly from wholesale prices in some cases, while the difference is more significant in others.
Hamid Sufizada, a retailer at the Dahan-i-Bagh market, put the retail price of a 49kg bag of Kazakh flour at 1,600afs, a 24kg bag of Indian rice at 2,550afs and a 49kg sack of Indian sugar at 2,750afs.
A 16-litre bottle of cooking oil sold for 2,050afs, while one kilogramme of black tea cost 430afs and the same quantity of green tea cost 400afs, he added.
Gold prices
Mohammad Fawad, a jeweller in the Timor Shahi area, said the price of one gramme of Arabian gold fell from 7,700afs to 7,480afs, while the same amount of Russian gold declined from 6,120afs to 5,960afs.
Gold dealers said fluctuations in local gold prices were linked to changes in international markets.
Currency exchange rates
Haji Mohammad Hussain, owner of Sadaqat Money Exchange Service, said one US dollar traded for 64.40afs, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees exchanged for 225 afghanis.
During the previous week, one US dollar traded for 64.70afs, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees exchanged for 227afs.
hz/kk
