Car sales plunge due to people’s poor economic situation

KABUL (Pajhwok): Car dealers in Kabul say their sales have tumbled due to people’s poor economic situation and the car prices have also significantly decreased compared to the past.

Haji Wafa, a car seller in Kabul, told Pajhwok that well-off families had left the country and poor people remained, who could not afford to buy cars.

Earlier he used to sell five to 10 cars a week, but now he could not sell that many cars even in a month, the dealer said, adding that the prices of all goods had surged in Afghanistan but that of autos decreased.

He said the price of a 97 model corolla car had decreased from $7000 to about $4000. A 2010 model corolla was previously sold for about $8,000 compared to its current price of $6,000, according to Haji Wafa.

Another car dealer in Kabul, Qasim, also said due to people’s poor economic situation, their business had been affected.

During the previous regime, he said, he sold six to eight cars a week, but now he could not sell this number of cars even in two months.

Qasim also said during the initial days of the new government after the fall of the democratic government, car sales plummeted to almost zero, but now the situation had somehow improved.

He sold a 2007 Toyota Camry car for about $8000 in the previous government, but now its price had dropped to about $4500.

Qasim also said: "The mini cruiser car market has recovered to some extent, but the prices have decreased. We sold a 2010 model mini cruiser for $45,000 during the previous regime, now it is sold for about $29,000”.

Another car seller, Parvezullah, told Pajhwok he used to sell three to four cars a week during the past regime, but now his sales had declined.

He said previously a 2016 model Benz car was sold for about $43000 compared to its current price of $23000. The price of a 2013 model corolla car fell from $16000 in the previous system to about $11000.

Some other car dealers also made similar complaints and said their sales had decreased due to people’s bad economic situation.

Government officials did not respond to Pajhwok request for comments about the issue after passage of several days.

However, the caretaker government leaders had previously said they were working on short-term and medium-term plans to reduce unemployment and create jobs in coordination with experts of the sector ministries and related institutions.

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