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High food prices make life unbearable in Afghanistan
KABUL, June 26: Ask any Afghan and he will tell you it is too much to stomach: The sky-rocketting food prices that. have made life as unbearable as the country's 12-year-old war.
Even President Najibullah acknowledges that prices are spiralling. "We do realise that prices have gone very high compared to previous years," the President said in an interview with Agence France-Presse. but added that essential Items were available in markets.
He said the war had disrupted the shipment and distribution of supplies but was hopeful the fighting would end soon and pave the way for economic recovery.
For the time being, however, the typical housewife can only wring her hands in despair at the never-ending markups as traders hopelessly try to justify the price hikes.
"None can blame us. it is the war that Is doing this." said the owner of a fully stocked grocery shop.
He said there were no shortages but petrol prices had almost doubled, forcing traders to charge more for transportation.
Presidential Advisor Eshaq Tokhl agreed that the economic plight was a product of the war. "Even after the fighting slops the state of the economy will be a painful remnant of it." Mr Tokhi said, adding that the crisis had been aggravated by the economic problems facing Kabul's two main foreign suppliers. the Soviet Union and India.
The price Increases have never hit Afghans as hard as they did during the .runup to the Muslim festival marking the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Afghans ended Tuesday a three-day official holiday to mark the festival, but most emerged from the holidays with empty pockets.
"It was the first rocket-less Eld festival we celebrated." said taxi driver Sharifi, referring to the constant barrage of rockets fired on the capital in the past by Mujahideen gunners.
"But this Eid was the most expensive in many years," he added. Officials, diplomats and residents said no rockets were fired this time into Kabul by the rebels, a fact the government attributes to its military gains of the past two months.
"Last year the situation was different. The biggest threat then was the rockets." Inflation is out of control, it is a runway situation here as far as prices are concerned." said a political opposition figure who accused the President of giving excessive publicity to military gains to cover up economic hardship.
Meat, traditionally a part of the daily diet, has become a luxuiy. A kllogram(2.2 pounds) of mutton costs 2,200 Afghanis (2.30 dollars) up from 1,500 ( 1.57 dollars) in May and a kilo of chicken goes for 3,000 Afghanis (3.15 dollars), up from 2.200.
A kilo of flour has risen from 500 (52 cents) to 600 (63 cents) while potatoes, considered the poor man s food, cost 500 as compared to 100 Afghanis (10 cents) a kilo last month.
Behind most price hikes has been the increase in petrol, a liter (0.26 gallon) of which has shot up from 400 to 600 Afghanis.
But many observers here blame the currency's decline as the root cause of the price increases.
The Afghani has been rapidly losing ground against the dollar during the past year, and though the slide has been checked for the moment that has not helped bring food prices down.
A year ago the exchange rate on the free market was 550 Afghanis to the dollar. It is fluctuating at between 925 and 950 Afghanis.
To make ends meet many civil servants work part-time after office hour*. "A lot of people working In the government drive taxis after hours," said a Foreign Ministry official.