Soaring Food And Fuel Prices Put The Bite On Struggling Afghans

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As the residents of Kabul prepare to break their fast at the end of the day, the street markets in the centre of the city are as busy as ever. But this year, during the holy month of Ramadan, there is a real struggle to make ends meet. The price of basic food and fuel has soared in recent months, putting enormous strain on consumers.

"At the moment, it's the biggest problem we face," said one customer, paying for several bags of vegetables at a roadside stall. "I used to be able to buy my onions and tomatoes for 60 Afghanis. Now it's 100 Afghanis. It's suddenly got very high." "It's the same for everything, potatoes, all the vegetables," said Omar, selling his wares from a small wooden cart. "The big businessmen are responsible. They hoard everything and push the prices up."

A small crowd soon gathered around us. Everyone had a story to tell. "Why is it so expensive?" shouted one man. "You should ask the government! Karzai doesn't care about ordinary people."

President Hamid Karzai says that he does. He convened a recent meeting at the presidential palace to deal specifically with the issue of price rises. One cabinet minister pointed out that household gas, which should be sold at about 40 Afghanis ($0.8) per kilogram, is currently selling for 80 Afghanis. The government has promised to identify anyone responsible for hoarding and surcharging and punish them. But that's not much consolation for drivers buying fuel for their vehicles at a nearby petrol station.

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