'Bond notes won't be forced at gunpoint,' says Chinamasa

Zimbabweans would not be forced at gun point to use the controversial bond notes due to be introduced in October, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa has said.

Chinamasa said when the South African rand was rejected the monetary authorities never forced people to use it.

He was responding to MDC-T MP Gabbuza Gabbuza yesterday on what measures government will take if the liquidity crisis ends before bonds notes introduction.

Asked Gabbuza "Bond notes are coming into effect in October and currently, we are in July. Government is also doing a lot of other policy measures to reduce the problem of cash.

"Suppose those measures come into effect and cash is no longer a problem and we have point-of-sale machines. Is the Minister likely to consider stopping the printing of the bond notes because we will have solved our problems in four months?"

In response Chinamasa said "Please get it clear, the bond notes are coming," he said.

"Like I said previously, those who do not want to use them, are free not to. There is choice always. You know you refused to use the rand and no one came with a gun to your head to say use them.

"I want us to be very clear that it has a twofold purpose, as an export bonus scheme and also to stop leakages of the US$. The US$ we are earning is hard-earned currency which we cannot afford to let it go out, because people are coming to sell trinkets here and move out in suitcases our US$".