KABUL: The Afghan currency dipped against the US dollar in Kabul during the outgoing week when the rates of sugar and flour went up, retailers said.
Ahmad Shah, a moneychanger at the Shahzada Money Market, said the buying rate of a US dollar was 66.70afs and 1,000 Pakistani rupees exchanged for 621afs.
Last week’s exchange value of the greenback stood at 65.20 afs and 1,000 rupees at 614afs. The decline sent the prices of flour and sugar soaring, he said.
However, the rates of some other daily-use commodities remained unchanged during the week, according to Food Traders Union head, Fazl Rahman.
A 49-kilogram sack of Pakistani flour was sold for 1440afs against its last week’s 1380afs and the rate of 49-kg of Pakistani sugar aged up to 1840 afs from last week’s 1830 afs.
The price of a 24-kg bag of Pakistani rice remained stable at 1650 afs and a 16-kg tin of Shaistan ghee at 950 afs, he said.
Likewise, the prices of tea remained unchanged. A kilo of green tea accounted for 210 afs and the same amount of African black tea for 240afs, said a dealer in the Kabul food market, Ahmad Javed.
But wholesale prices varied from retail rates in some parts of the city. Ahmad Omaid, a shopkeeper in the Dahn-i-Bagh locality, sold a 24-kg sack of rice for 1,800afs, a 49-kg bag of sugar for 2,000afs and a 50-kg sack of flour for 1,550afs.
He sold a 16-kg tin of Shaista ghee for 1150afs, a kilo of black African team for 260afs and the same quantity of Indonesian green tea for 250afs.
Mohammad Fawad, a jeweller in Timor Shahi neighbourhood, said the price of one gram of Russian was sold at 1,700 afs and the same quantity of the Arabian variety was sold at 2150 afs, the same price as last week’s.
A filling station worker in Qala-i-Fathullah, Obaidullah, said one litre of diesel cost 41afs and the same quantity of patrol 48afs, the same rates as of last week.
Mohammad Sharif, a liquefied gas seller in Kolola Pushta neighborhood, said the rate of one kg of gas was 65afs, the same rate as of last week. Last month, a kilo of gas sold at 50 afs.
