Govt warns traders rejecting bond notes
By Mugove Tafirenyika
Government has threatened to descend heavily on businesses and individuals refusing to accept bond notes as legal tender.
This comes after Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya on Monday officially introduced the promissory notes to ease a severe cash crisis triggered by declining exports and externalisation.
Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa told the National Assembly that government would invoke the full might of the law to “deal with offenders”.
Chinamasa was responding to a question by Zanu PF Marondera Central MP Lawrence Katsiru during question time on Wednesday on what measures government had put in place to make sure that the bond notes are wholly-embraced.
“…there is already a hotline to assist the smooth introduction of the bond notes so that any issues of the nature raised can be followed up with the relevant culprits and we will be able to deal with those cases where they refuse to accept them,” Chinamasa said.
“Some of the teething problems which are being reported basically have to do with some commercial entities refusing to accept it as legal tender but they are obliged under law to accept it as legal tender.
“Anyone who offers bond notes in discharge of obligations will have discharged, whether the person being offered the bond note refuses or not.”
Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda said: “I believe that at some time, the minister of Finance and Economic Development may address it perhaps through some ministerial statement to clarify certain grey areas.”
MDC MP for Chitungwiza North Godfrey Sithole asked the minister to also address the “mediocre” quality of the notes in his ministerial statement.
“We wish that when he issues this ministerial statement, he talks about the texture of the $2 bond note. I have the two different notes which show the difference in texture of what is supposed to be the same note. The colour in some notes is wearing out whilst the other notes are intact,” he said. Daily News
