Nimroz residents ask gov’t to counter Iranian rial

Residents of southwestern Nimroz province say they are concerned about the prevalence of Iranian rial in the province, asking the government to prevent transactions in the foreign currency.
They say all deals in the province are done in Iranian rial and the fall of the Iranian currency against the Afghani has created problems for local people.
Mushtaq Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Zaranj, the capital of Nimroz, told Pajhwok Afghan News that all transactions even daily household items were done in Iranian rial in the province.
Using the Iranian rial has become a culture in Nimroz, but the fall of the currency has caused prices to soar significantly, so people cannot purchase them, he said.
He said one Afghani was previously accounted for 600 Iranian rials but now one Afghani valued 1,750 rials.
“The price of one bread increased from 10,000 rials to 30,000 and even 40,000 rials and a bag of rice rate has jumped from 250,000 rial to 900,000 rial while the income of a daily wager is 100,000 rial to 200,000 rial a day,” he said.
Ahmad said shopkeepers purchased goods in Afghani, dollar and Pakistani rupee but they sold them in the Iranian rial.
Jumma Khan, a laborer in Nimroz, said: “Two years ago, I would earn 100,000 rial (180) Afghanis a day, but now I earn up to 200,000 rial (110 Afghanis) which is enough only to purchase breads.”
Mohammad Nade, a tailor in Zaranj city, said that previously he would charge 100,000 rial (180 Afghanis) per dress but now he charged a reduced 140 Afghanis.
He asked the government to prevent deals in foreign currencies in Nimroz so people were able to purchase things at normal prices.
Mohammad, another resident of Nimroz, said people wanted to use the Afghan currency, but shopkeepers did not accept them because they were not familiar with the Afghan currency.
“When I asked about a kilogram of grapes, the shopkeeper told me it costs 70,000 rial, but when I gave him Afghanis, he refused to take them, then I had to exchange the Afghanis to rial and to continue my shopping,” he said.
Daud, another dweller, expressed concern over the hike in goods prices.
Mullah Gul Ahmad Ahmadi, a provincial council member, said deals in foreign currency were rime under the country’s laws, but people still used rial in Nimroz.
He hoped the fall in the Iranian currency would encourage local people to use the afghani.
Mohammad Naim Sayedi, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) head for Nimroz, said people should shun transactions in foreign currency as the government alone could not deal with the matter.
“There is enough notes of the Afghani in Nimroz and I have repeatedly told traders and shopkeepers in the province to use Afghan currency. Awareness in this regard is being spread through media and billboards.”
He said some people were fined using rial in the province, but it was not effective.
Governor Dr. SayedWali Sultan also expressed concern over the use of rial in Nimroz and said deals in foreign currencies were no longer acceptable to the local administration.