Afghanistan Money-changers Union has expressed concern over smuggling of dollar to neighboring countries. According to the union, the U.S. dollar smuggling to neighboring countries particularly Pakistan and Iran has recently increased.
Officials of the union say smuggling of U.S. dollar out of the country will damage the country’s economy, asking for preventing of its smuggling outside of the country.
“Smuggling the U.S. dollar out of Afghanistan can put negative impact on both Afghanistan’s economy and Afghani currency,” said Abdul Rahman Zirak, deputy of Afghanistan Money-changers Union.
He added that unfortunately, the U.S. dollar was illegally smuggled from Afghanistan to Iran and Pakistan, asking relevant organs particularly the country’s central bank and all security organs to prevent from smuggling of the U.S. dollar out of the country.
Meanwhile, Afghan money-changers by expressing concern over smuggling the U.S. dollar out of the country say smuggling the dollar to neighboring countries can have negative impacts on the country’s economy.
“Smuggling the U.S. dollar out of Afghanistan can put negative impact on both the economy of Afghanistan and payments balance in the country as Afghanistan is an importing country; therefore, smuggling the U.S. dollar out of the country will result in raising the price of goods Afghan traders are importing from outside,” said Shahwali, an Afghan money-exchanger in Kabul.
Ordinary Afghans also consider smuggling the U.S. dollar out of the country as harmful for the country’s economy.
They believe that increasing unemployment rate, price rocketing of goods, reduction in the value of the Afghani currency and low demand for purchasing and selling are the main losses of smuggling the dollar to neighboring countries.
They are asking relevant organs particularly the ministry of interior and General directorate of Intelligence to prevent from smuggling of the U.S. dollar out of the country. With rising the concern over smuggling the U.S. dollar, the ministry of interior has informed of arresting several individuals involved in smuggling dollar in border areas to Pakistan and Iran.
“All police forces have been seriously instructed to prevent from smuggling the foreign currencies particularly the U.S. dollar out of the country,” said Abdul Nafi Takor, a spokesperson of the ministry of interior.
He said a number of individuals have been recently arrested in bordering areas for smuggling the U.S. dollar out the country.
Meanwhile, Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, said smuggling the U.S. dollars out of Afghanistan could have negative impacts on the country’s economy, asking relevant organs to pay attention for prevention of smuggling of the foreign currencies abroad.
It is worth mentioning that Afghanistan’s Central Bank ‘DAB’ injects U.S. dollars to the local markets each week to ensure the stability of Afghani.
Shukria Kohistani
