KABUL (Pajhwok): Fuel and gold prices increased while the price of cooking oil declined in Kabul during the outgoing week, market sources said on Saturday.
Hikmatullah Muhammadi, an employee at a fuel station in Kabul’s Wazirabad area, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the price of one litre of petrol rose from 86 afs to 89 afs, while diesel increased from 78 afs to 79 afs per litre.
He attributed the increase to the closure of the Salang Pass, reduced imports and higher demand in Kabul markets.
This came despite a decline in global petroleum prices. According to the Euronext website, the price of crude oil, an important indicator of global markets, fell from $104.61 per barrel at the close of trading on Friday, September 11, to $103.87 at the close of trading on Friday, September 18.
Mohammad Jan Amin, a shopkeeper in Kabul’s Dahan-i-Bagh area, said one kilogramme of liquefied gas was selling for 65 afs.
Zmarai Safi, head of the Food Traders’ Association, said the price of 16 litres of Malaysian cooking oil fell from 2,000 afs to 1,950 afs.
He said prices of other essential food items remained unchanged, with a 49kg bag of Kazakh flour selling for 1,600 afs, a 49kg bag of Indian sugar for 2,650 afs, a 24kg bag of Indian rice for 2,500 afs, one kilogramme of African black tea for 380 afs and one kilogramme of Indonesian green tea for 350 afs.
Safi noted that retail prices differed slightly from wholesale prices in some cases, while the difference was more significant for some other products.
Hamid Sufizada, a retailer in Dahan-i-Bagh market, put the retail price of a 49kg bag of Kazakh flour at 1,650 afs, a 24kg bag of Indian rice at 2,550 afs and a 49kg bag of Indian sugar at 2,700 afs.
A 16-litre bottle of cooking oil sold for 2,000 afs, while one kilogramme of black tea cost 430 afs and the same quantity of green tea cost 400 afs, he added.
Gold prices rise
Mohammad Fawad, a jeweller in the Timor Shahi area, said the price of one gramme of Arabian gold rose from 7,240 afs to 7,350 afs, while the price of the same amount of Russian gold increased from 5,770 afs to 5,850 afs.
Gold dealers attributed fluctuations in local gold prices to changes in international markets.
Currency exchange rates
Haji Mohammad Hussain, owner of Sadaqat Money Exchange Service, said one US dollar was exchanged for 64.60 afs, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees fetched 227 afs.
During the previous week, one US dollar traded at 64.20 afs, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees exchanged for 226 afs.
hz/sa