MAZAR-I-SHARIF - Commercial firms and traders have announced a $50 discount in each ton of food items for Ramadan month in northern Balkh province, officials said on Tuesday.
The program kicked off today (Tuesday) and would continue until the end of the holy month in order to facilitate common people.
Provincial chamber of commerce and industry head Arash Younisi told Pajhwok Afghan News the step was taken after the governor’s house suggested so.
He said a number of commercial firms and traders had decided to deliver above 60 food items on special discount to Balkh people.
He said flour, ghee, rice and some other food items included in the subsidized materials.
Younisi said containers carrying the same food items would be parked in many parts of Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital, for easy access of citizens.
He said, “We are trying to enable people’s access to these food-items, each ton of food is sold $50 cheaper from the bazaar, for example a sack of flour is sold 200 afghanis cheaper from the bazaar price.”
He said if the government also reduced taxes on exports in Ramadan, traders would also offer the same to people on discount.
Trader Haji Khiruddin Mail told Pajhwok they wanted to assist people through their discounted rates in each ton of food items.
He said each trader has been trying to provide further facilities to people in the on-going holy month of Ramadan.
He said traders had promised to deliver such food-item to the governor’s house and commerce department officials so the items were distributed equally to all parts of the city.
Haji Mail added the prices of flour and rice were not increased this Ramadan compared to the previous years.
Mohammad Sharif, a resident of Mazar-Sharif city, expressed his happiness over the offer in Ramadan and thanked traders for the initiative.
A number of other residents also expressed similar views and thanked traders for the discount.
Meanwhile, deputy governor Mohammad Bashir Tawheedi also thanked traders for addressing people problems and bringing discount in food items. (Pajhwok)