Heratis shocked by hike in food prices

HERAT CITY (PAN): Residents of this ancient western city of Herat and some districts complain they are shocked by a sudden hike in prices of essential daily-use commodities, accusing the municipality of failing to control the trend.

Haji Sharif Khan, a dweller of the provincial capital, told Pajhwok Afghan News on Sunday: “The common man could not afford purchasing necessary items such as flour, cooking oil and others due to an unprecedented hike in their rates.”

Sharif said the price of a 50-kg bag of flour had jumped from 900afs to a record 1,300afs in the recent past, grumbling the essential commodity was going beyond his purchasing power.

Sulaiman, a resident of Kashk Kohna district, who visited Herat City for shopping, also complained of increasing prices of daily use items. He said he had to borrow money from a friend due to what he called an “unbearable” increase in prices.

Similarly, residents of Herat City also said fuel prices had gone up by an average of eight afghanis per litre.

Herat Mayor Mohammad Saleem admitted prices of necessary items had registered a swift rise. He also confirmed receiving complains in this regard from residents.

However, he explained they could not interfere in the affairs of a free market system, in which the government had little or no say. He called residents’ complaints as just.

The mayor explained price fluctuations depended on the demand and supply position to the market, where buyers and sellers determined prices.

nh/ma/mud

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