Fuel prices up, gold sink in capital

KABUL (Pajhwok): Prices of petrol, liquefied gas and green tea jumped and that of Arabic gold sunk, with other daily-use commodities’ rates staying stable in Kabul during the outgoing week, retailers said on Thursday.

Abdul Hadi, a filling station owner in the Wazirabad area, said the week saw the rate of one litre petrol soaring from 56 afghanis to 58afs. “Fuel prices depend on imports,” he said.

A liquefied gas seller, Mohammad Sharif, in the Kolola Pushta neighbourhood, said the price of one kilogram of gas soared from 48afs to 50afs.

Fazal Rahman, the Traders’ Union head, said the price of one kilogram of Vietnamese tea rose from 170afs to 180afs, but prices of other food items remained unchanged.

He said a 24-kg bag of Pakistani rice cost 1,800afs, a 50-kg bag of sugar 1,550afs, 50kg sack of Pakistani flour 1,300afs, a 5-kg tin of Momin Ghee 380afs and one kg of black African tea 210afs.

But a retailer in the Kart-i-Seh area, Khan Ali, sold a 49-kg bag of Pakistani flour for 1,380afs, a 50-kg bag of sugar for 1,700afs and a 49-kg bag of rice for 2,000afs.

He sold a 5-kg tin of Momin ghee for 460afs, a kilo of African black tea for 270afs and the same quantity of Indonesian green tea for 230afs — higher than wholesale prices.

Abdul Baseer, a jeweller in the Lycée Maryam neighbourhood, said the rate of one gram of Arabian gold downed from 2,200 to 2,100afs, but the same quantity of the Iranian variety stayed stable at 1,800afs.

Moneychanger Ahmad Shah said the buying rate of one US dollar was 57.50afs, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees accounted for 554afs. Last week’s exchange value of the greenback stood at 57.42afs and 1,000 Pakistani rupees at 540afs.

mds/rm

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