News / National
Mugabe too senior to address bond notes, bonuses
08 Dec 2016 at 08:16hrs | Views
Veteran ruler President Robert Mugabe has no business in tackling bond notes and civil servants bonus saga, Information minister Chris Mushohwe has ruled.
According to Mushowe, that is the duty of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Finance Ministry.
On Tuesday, Mugabe (92) gave a state of the nation address and never mentioned the bond notes.
That disappointed a majority of Zimbabweans who are failing to access the new bond notes introduced by the central bank last week in an attempt to avert a liquidity crunch that has left the country's money markets and national economy paralysed.
Scores of people are now having to brave the wet and sometimes chilly weather to join bank queues at night in order to increase their chances of accessing the limited amounts being offered to depositors by financial institutions.
According to reports, Mushohwe suggested that Mugabe could not stoop so low to address bond notes.
"What crisis is there that warranted his mention of bond notes.
"Those are questions you must ask the Reserve Bank governor and the minister of finance. Why should the president be the one who would go and see people sleeping in queues?".
On bonuses he said "The president made a pronouncement that civil servants will get their bonuses but it is not the function of the president to go and put money in people's hands; there are ministers of finance and minister of labour. That is their function, to work out how the payment should be made.
"Surely you don't expect the president to go and say 'pay them I am waiting to see you pay them here'".
Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa is today expected to make civil servants bonus announced during his 2017 national budget presentation.
According to Mushowe, that is the duty of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Finance Ministry.
On Tuesday, Mugabe (92) gave a state of the nation address and never mentioned the bond notes.
That disappointed a majority of Zimbabweans who are failing to access the new bond notes introduced by the central bank last week in an attempt to avert a liquidity crunch that has left the country's money markets and national economy paralysed.
Scores of people are now having to brave the wet and sometimes chilly weather to join bank queues at night in order to increase their chances of accessing the limited amounts being offered to depositors by financial institutions.
According to reports, Mushohwe suggested that Mugabe could not stoop so low to address bond notes.
"What crisis is there that warranted his mention of bond notes.
"Those are questions you must ask the Reserve Bank governor and the minister of finance. Why should the president be the one who would go and see people sleeping in queues?".
On bonuses he said "The president made a pronouncement that civil servants will get their bonuses but it is not the function of the president to go and put money in people's hands; there are ministers of finance and minister of labour. That is their function, to work out how the payment should be made.
"Surely you don't expect the president to go and say 'pay them I am waiting to see you pay them here'".
Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa is today expected to make civil servants bonus announced during his 2017 national budget presentation.
Source - Byo24News
