The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube has reprimanded government agencies and local authorities who are charging for their services exclusively in foreign currency in total defiance of the directive to charge for services in local currency.
Professor Ncube issued a statement this Tuesday.
“On the 29th of May 2023, Government directed that all Government Agencies including Local Authorities should collect fees and levies in local currency in order to promote the wider use of domestic currency.
However, Government notes with concern the outright disregard of this directive by certain Local Authorities and Government Agencies who either have gone ahead to issue notices to the contrary or continue charging services exclusively in United States Dollars”, read the statement.
The Minister singled out the opposition led City Of Harare as one such defiant Local Authority which has disregarded the Government directive.
“The City of Harare is one such case in point”, read the statement.
The Minister implored all agencies and local authorities to make use of the real time gross settlement electronic dollars (RTGS Dollars) as directed in Statutory Instrument 33 of 2019.
Government in 2019 made the Zimbabwe Dollar the sole legal tender for all settlements in Zimbabwe. Any billing for services in foreign currencies can be done in accordance with the law and if exempted in terms of the foreign Exchange Control Regulations.
Government directives must be followed to the latter. Any disregard should be dealt with decisively. The move by the City of Harare is meant to sway the vote ahead of the general elections due on the 23rd of August 2023.
