As the price of flour and cooking oil mounts in Kabul, the Chamber of Craftsmen and Shopkeepers said that Malaysia has declined its oil exports to many countries including Afghanistan due to the war in Ukraine.
Afghanistan was importing cooking oil from Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia previously, but the countries either stopped sending oil to Afghanistan or decreased it.
“Those areas (countries) are busy with war now. Malaysia is unable to provide oil for many countries across the world, so the country has declined to export oil to Afghanistan which results in prices going up,” said Nurulhaq Omari, the head of the Chamber of Craftsmen and Shopkeepers.
The price of 50 kg flour increased by 150 Afghanis and 16 Liters of oil increased by 200 Afghanis in less than ten days.
“The price of 16 liters oil increased 3 dollars. Many people are not able to buy it. Not only oil, the price of flour is also going up,” said Esmatullah, a shopkeeper in Kabul.
Based on the findings of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, Afghanistan needs 7 million tons of flour or wheat annually, and traders import over two million tons from abroad.—Tolonews
