Samangan residents complain high essential items rates

AIBAK (Pajhwok): Some residents in northern Samanagan province have complained against the high rates of essential items and said after the appreciation of Afghani against dollar there was no change in the rates of essential items.

Qari Abdul Basir Hakimi, a local elder in Aibak, the provincial capital, told Pajhwok Afghan News when Afghani depreciated the price of essential items also increases but when Afghani value improves there is no decline in the prices of essential item.

He complained against the high rates of essential items in Samangan and said: “We have a taught winter ahead, I request to all businessmen and traders not to create further difficulties for the masses in winter.”

Mohammad Ibrahim, another Samangan resident, said: We witnessed hoarding and inflation by shopkeepers unfortunately they had increased the rates.

Dollar rate had declined comparing to the past but the prices of essential items remained at its previous place.

Naseer Ahmad, one of the Aibak Shopkeepers, said dollar rate has main role in the transactions, adding that when the dollar rate depreciated against the Afghani currency, traders increase the dollar rate of materials

“One carton of Alfa milk was $78 dollar in the past but now when the depreciated one carton of Alfa milk is accounted for $95 so how could we change the rates,” he said.

He asked local officials to pay attention to the inflation caused by businessmen.

Aibak Municipality acknowledged the rates of essential items was high and said a committee had been formed to address the inflation issue in the city.

Mawlavi Fida Mohammad Farzam, the technical and professional director of Aibak Municipality, said In order to control the price of food, this department distributes price lists throughout the city, and municipal employees are employed in the city and control the price of consumables every day.

He acknowledged public complaints regarding the high price of raw materials, but emphasizes that legal action will be taken against those who do not pay attention to the municipal price list and violate it.

Samangan is one of the provinces of the northern zone, which imports most of its food and non-food items from the neighboring provinces and central Afghanistan, and some shopkeepers of Samangan believe that the blocking of the Salang road can also affect the high prices of raw materials.

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