The government has reportedly directed banks to not allow CIvil Servants to withdraw their $75 USD allowances, Newsday reports. The matter came to light yesterday in senate where Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said the government doesn’t want the money flooding the black market hence the decision:
The systems are ready for civil servants to get the US$75 from the special foreign currency accounts which were opened. The process has been completed now and the banks have said they are ready to issue cards for use in the shops.
However, we do not want individuals to withdraw cash from banks for the US$75 allowance because we are concerned as a government that it will end up in the parallel market.
Apex Council spokesperson David Dzatsunga said the civil servants were told they could liquidate their allowances into their Zim Dollar accounts:
They said they would give a hybrid card that would reflect the Zimdollar balance and US dollar balance. They said it’s something they are working on and while they are doing that, it is not clear. They are different scenarios without a clear message out there.
We have always said this is a government initiative of which it was not arrived at out of any consultative process. So, they will always tell us that it has always been our decision, so you cannot tell us how to manage it.
Civil servants according to the publication are angry over the new development since they cannot withdraw their allowances unless they liquidate it. PTUZ’s Dr Takavafira Zhou spoke to the publication about the situation and said:
The rate of exchange is very low in banks and because civil servants are being forced to get their money in RTGS, which is also coming to them already deducted, this shows there is a deliberate robbing of civil servants while they tried to make it look like it’s beneficial, but in actual fact, it is not effective.
