Afghan money changers go on strike amid problems in obtaining licences
May 15, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], May 15 : After facing problems in obtaining licences, Afghanistan's National Council of Money changers on Saturday announced to go on strike from Sunday.
The national moneychangers' council said all the moneychangers would suspend their activities until their problems were addressed, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.
Based on the government decision, the fee for a licence has been fixed at five million afghanis. A moneychanger must have 50 million afs in cash.
These conditions had made the situation difficult for moneychangers, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.
A resolution passed by the council said moneychangers across the country had frequently tried to resolve the licence issue and submitted petitions to the authorities concerned but their problem was yet to be addressed.
"Under a new plan and current circumstances, obtaining a licence is very difficult for moneychangers," read the resolution.
"Money changers deal in domestic and foreign remittances besides transferring money and supplies for traders. But unfortunately, the new law brought from the West and imposed on moneychangers by the previous government had made their work difficult," it added.
It also said the conditions were not acceptable to money changers, who were unable to qualify for running the business. They have shared the issue with the economic commission, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.
The council hoped a solution to the problems of money changers would be consulted with them.
Ahmad Shah, a money changer in Sara-i-Shahzada, the country's largest currency market, told Pajhwok Afghan News the union decided on Saturday evening to halt activities from today (Sunday).
Mohammad Nasim Lufraee, director of the money changers' union in Faryab, said they supported the decision of the union and would suspend their activities from today (Sunday).
He said a majority of moneychangers could not arrange five million afghanis in bank guarantee. Several moneychangers would not be able to operate unless the central bank and the government reconsider the bank guarantee condition, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.
