Taliban Administration Warns Traders Against Price Gouging and Hoarding
The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and Complaints has announced that all traders, shopkeepers, and market officials across the country are required to sell goods according to the officially determined price list and must refrain from hoarding and unilaterally increasing prices. Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, the ministry’s spokesperson, stated that sellers must also ensure “complete fairness” in weights and measures. He added that any violation of these rules would lead to the closure of offending shops and markets, and their responsible officials would be referred to judicial authorities. This warning comes amid complaints in recent years regarding price fluctuations and shortages of certain items in several provinces. However, experts believe that purely punitive measures and threats to close markets, without a clear plan to regulate the market and address the root causes of inflation, cannot sustainably resolve citizens’ economic problems. Amid widespread financial hardships faced by the population, it is expected that the Taliban administration, in addition to issuing warnings, will establish transparent and fair mechanisms to oversee the market and protect consumer rights to maintain public trust.
