LASHKARGAH (SW) – Trade in foreign currencies, particularly the Pakistani rupee continues in various parts of Afghanistan despite the consecutive governments’ call to promote the local afghani currency.
Garmsir is one of the southern districts of Helmand. Residents of this district say that all transactions in this district are done in Pakistani currency for the past thirty years. According to them, all small and big business transactions are done only in “Kaldara”.
Nabi Jan has a shop in the center of Garmsir district, for many years. He said that all the businesses in this district use the rupee and many children and young people do not even know the afghani currency.
A number of other residents of Garmser district also say that Kaldara has completely replaced the afghani and all people do business in this foreign currency. They aadded hat many young people and children have not even seen the afghai banknotes.
Two residents of Garmsir, Rozi Khan and Baran, told Salam Watandar that they have been living in this district for the past 26 or 27 years, and according to them, there are many people who do not know afghani. They added that the transactions in the rupee have harmed them because in big cities, nobody wants the rupee and they have to convert it back to the afghanis.
Local officials in Garmsir district say that they have recently started efforts to promote the afghani in this district.
Musa Kalim Sani, spokesperson for Garmsir district governor, said: “This problem has existed for a long time, because it is a border district. We are trying to solve this problem. We collect all the taxes in afghanis and use afghanis.”
There are many other provinces in the country where, apart from the rupee, other foreign currencies are in circulation and people are also using them.
ENDS
