Commerce ministry to provide discounted coal to Kabul residents this winter

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) says it will distribute 400,000 tons of coal at a discounted rate to Kabul city residents in order to prevent a sharp rise in fuel prices this winter.

The decision was made by a special fuel price control commission headed by the deputy prime minister Abdul Ghani Baradar.

According to Abdul Salam Jawad, a spokesman for the MoCI, the fuel will be sold to the public at 9,000 afghanis per ton.

“When winter approaches, Afghan traders try to increase the price of fuel and for this reason this program is to stop the increase of prices in winter,” said Jawad.

“The rate that the Islamic Emirate has set is 9,000 afghanis per ton, and it is high quality.”

He added that by the end of this month, one million tons of oil, diesel and petrol, 500,000 tons of liquefied gas and two million tons of flour and wheat will be imported from Russia based on an agreement with Moscow, which will also lead to a price reduction of these commodities.

“Gas, oil and wheat will be imported to Afghanistan by the end of this month Inshallah,” he added. “The technical issues have been resolved and the cargo has been loaded to enter Afghanistan.”

The MoCI’s spokesman said that the IEA has also arranged to import oil from other countries.

“Iran’s route has been extended for four more months through which we can import oil from Turkmenistan, Iraq, Russia and Arab countries,” he said.

Although some residents of Kabul welcome this decision by the government, they insist that due to the increase in unemployment and poverty in the country, the price of coal should be cut more.

According to MoCI, in addition to the distribution of coal at a cheaper rate, they are also trying to provide wood to the people of Kabul. This they hope will also be at a discounted rate.