Amid ongoing fluctuations in fuel prices across domestic markets, officials at the state-owned Oil and Gas Enterprise attribute the price volatility to Afghanistan’s heavy reliance on imports and broader regional developments.
Kabul 24: Mohammad Naseer Rahimi, Director General of the Afghanistan Oil and Gas Enterprise, stated in an exclusive interview with TOLOnews that the country sources the vast majority of its energy needs from regional neighbors, making local markets directly susceptible to regional shifts.
Pointing to international tensions, he noted that disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have impacted global energy supplies, indirectly affecting Afghanistan. He explained that when nations relying on Persian Gulf energy face supply constraints, they turn to alternative regional suppliers, thereby increasing competition and reducing the supply volume available to Afghanistan.
Identifying Iran, Turkmenistan, Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan as the primary sources of Afghanistan’s oil and gas, Rahimi emphasized that imports from all these exporting nations remain uninterrupted. “We are importing from all fuel-exporting countries, and so far, we have not faced any restrictions or export bans from these nations,” he affirmed.
Rahimi also highlighted that nearly 160 private companies are currently active in importing fuel, backed by regulatory measures to prevent market manipulation.
He assured the public that dedicated commissions have been deployed in cities to curb hoarding and price gouging. “We assure our citizens that no mafia controls or influences the market. The state-owned Oil and Gas Enterprise also imports fuel directly, ensuring our resources are not limited and allowing us to intervene in the market whenever necessary,” he added.
Despite these assurances, persistent fluctuations in fuel prices continue to raise public concern. Citizens are calling for stricter market oversight and concrete measures to prevent unjustified price hikes as winter approaches.
