Badakhshan residents complain soaring food prices during Ramazan

FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): The residents of northeastern Badakhshan province have complained against soaring price of essential commodities during the holy month of Ramadan.

They expressed concern over the unprecedented hike in prices of food items, saying the local officials failed to control the market rate. However, local officials said they had set up a commission to control the market rate.

Latfullah, a teacher at a school in Badakhshan, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the increase in prices during the holy month of Ramadan was “very worrying”.

He supports his six-member family with a monthly salary of 10,000 afgahnis, said he could not meet his family’s financial problems.

Safiullah, another resident of the province who has been serving in police rank for 12 years in Faizabad City, said the prices were increasing with the passage of each day; but there was no one to control the price-hike.

According to him, with the beginning of Ramadan, the price of a kilogram of meat has increased from 350afs to 450afs, a 5-liter of oil from 430afs to 770afs, a sack of flour from 1,150afs to 1,700afs.

Religious scholars in Badakhsha say that hoarding and overselling are forbidden in Islam, and Allah (swt) takes away blessings from the business and investors for doing hoarding.

Mohibullah Shamsi, a religious scholar, told Pajhwok: “Traders and food sellers must stop selling goods expensive but help the people in need and for a reward.

But food traders said food prices had increased in global and regional markets.

Ghulam Farooq, a food items dealer, said that food prices had risen not only in Afghanistan but also in producing countries, which had affected food prices in Badakhshan.

Meanwhile, local officials in Badakhshan province said that although the market system was open competition, but they had appointed a commission from various institutions to control the prices in the market.

Sa/nh

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