Afghanistan: Fuel prices hike in Kabul due to overcharging, residents say

Kabul - Country faces unprecedented crises as the capital falls under Taliban rule

Fuel prices have risen in Afghanistan’s Kabul over the last week and locals have urged the government to step in to prevent overcharging from companies and importers of fuel.

Gas prices have risen by 15 afghanis per kilo and petrol prices have risen by four afghanis in the last week, reports TOLOnews.

Abdul Qayoum, a daily wager who lives in Kabul said, “A person who has daily earnings, working on the street, how can buy one kilo of gas. The prices are rising.”

Shopkeepers in Kabul claim that the fuel importing companies have hiked the fuel prices due to which the fuel prices have risen, reported TOLOnews.

Abdul Hadi, who works as a taxi driver says that he sometimes pay more for petrol.

“We buy 5 litres of oil at 320 afghanis, sometimes at 330 afghanis, this is not a good price. The economic situation is not good now,” said Abdul.

Local residents have asked the Taliban-led government to prevent overcharging on fuel by stopping the extortion by fuel importing companies.

It is been over a month when the Taliban captured Kabul after an aggressive and rapid advance against Afghanistan government forces amid the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from the country.

The country plunged into crisis last month after Kabul fell to the Taliban and the democratically elected government of former president Ashraf Ghani collapsed.

• MENA