Opinion / Columnist
Hon Biti attempting to ensnare Prof Ncube, Dr Mangudya for political gain
15 Sep 2020 at 06:34hrs | Views
FORMER Finance and Economic Development Minister, Honourable Tendai Biti is one of the very few political figures within the country's multiple opposition parties who appear to understand their responsibility as that of holding the governing party to account, while presenting an alternative in the manner their fellow citizens are governed.
Each time he gets an opportunity to speak in Parliament, the Harare East Member of Parliament pulls no punches, scaring the daylight out of bureaucrats who present themselves in the august House without facts on their fingertips.
As chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the MDC-Alliance vice president is known for keeping on toes those who appear before the panel. But in as much as he is entitled to his opinion, Biti needs to exercise limits to his brush style and be modest enough to give credit where it is due, lest he risks being perceived as a rouble rouser, consumed in self-righteousness by criticising for the sake of criticism rather than making an effort to induce the change he wishes to see.
In a constitutional democracy such as ours, the gateway for the assumption of power is to join opposition politics. Be that as it may, being in opposition does not necessarily imply finding fault in every action of the sitting government. What I find preposterous is where the likes of Biti and other cavaliers start to contradict themselves, forgetting that they too must account for their actions.
For example, in March this year Biti, who was clad in a Jewish headgear, told Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, in his face, that the market had no confidence in him, along with the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), Dr John Mangudya, as he debated the economic situation in the country.
To achieve currency stability, he opined that Professor Ncube must repeal Statutory Instrument (SI) 33 of 2019 and SI 142 of 2019; allow the Zimbabwe dollar (ZW$) to co-exist with other currencies; allow market forces of demand and supply to determine the exchange rate; put a lot more emphasis on production; do away with export surrender requirements and eliminate budget deficits.
Introduced in February 2019, the import of SI 33 was that dollar balances held in local foreign currency (FCA) bank accounts and mobile payment platforms, as well as bond notes and coins were no longer regarded as equal in value to United States dollar (US$). This was to be followed with SI 142 in June of the same year, pronouncing the ZW$ as the sole legal tender in any transactions in Zimbabwe.
Five months down the line, Biti was back in the National Assembly singing a different tune, urging Professor Ncube, who along with Dr Mangudya are his favourite punch bags, to remove the dual pricing system, saying it was causing distortions in the economy, while creating accounting nightmares for industry and commerce.
"So, we are generating illegality upon illegality, but most importantly, we are creating distortions in the economy. Let us have one single pricing system. The dual pricing system is creating havoc in industry. It is creating accounting nightmares," he was quoted as saying while debating the Finance Bill, adding that ""If you run a business, it means you now have two sets of accounts: One that deals with the US$ economy and the other that deals with a local economy with two different tax obligations and interest implications. There is a different interest for the US$ and the local dollar which does not work. It will not work."
It is unfortunate that Professor Ncube missed the opportunity to remind Biti of the patent paradox, which could lead one to wonder if there is a policy blueprint to guide the MDC-Alliance officials as their pronouncements seem to follow times of the year (seasons) for in the intervening period much of what he recommended in March had since come to pass.
For instance, Zimbabwe is now operating a multi-currency regime, with the market based foreign currency (forex) auction trading system setting the exchange rate. Treasury has also eliminated budget deficits, which were fuelling money supply and inflation, with production bracing government's interventions in agriculture, mining, industry etc.
Just as well, Professor Ncube stuck to his guns because issues around currency are confidential and cannot be discussed in a public forum where members of the Fourth Estate would be feverishly looking for their next headlines. The Finance Minister is now wiser as well, having caused panic and pandemonium in the market with his reckless utterances in September 2018, which set the ZW$ on a downward slope.
While I hold no brief for Professor Ncube or Dr Mangudya, I find it strange that Biti who has been calling on sanctions to be imposed on the Zanu PF government is sincere in wishing the same administration well. I hope these two gentlemen will not be fooled into adopting a mono-currency regime when it is as clear as daylight that Zimbabwe does not have sufficient US dollars or Rands to support the country's economy.
Zimbabwe tried the mono-currency route before and it monumentally failed. Through SI 142 of 2019 – known as the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe RBZ (Legal Tender) Regulations – the ZW$ was declared the sole currency effective 24 June 2019. The Government had to review this position in July this year, following the continued plummeting of the ZW$.
That mono-currency system impoverished people and, if anything, Zanu PF was lucky to survive by the skin of its teeth: One can, therefore, see the political mischief in Biti's deception of pushing for the adoption of the US$ or his favourite South African Rand (by joining the Rand Union) before the establishment of supportive fundamentals because it will turn Zimbabweans against their government.
It is also quite obvious that instead of commending the duo of Professor Ncube and Dr Mangudya for introducing the forex auction trading system which has ushered in price stability, Biti – who is a darling of White House and Number 10 Downing Street – is now crying more than the bereaved by hiding behind "accounting challenges" to sneak in the mono-currency regime when accountants themselves are rooting for the obtaining situation.
Being an accountant myself, local companies are under no legal obligation to prepare two sets of accounts, unless their boards of directors request them to. The reporting currency remains the ZW$, although for tax purposes companies have to separate tax returns – one for US$ and another for ZW$ - which is purely a matter of currency conversion that does not warrant the country to risk the prevailing stability for the sake of avoiding such simple conversion.
In future, Biti speak authoritatively on matters legal and not to encroach into other professional fields when he is least qualified to do so unless if he wants to entrap his political rivals into pressing the self-destruct button.
Professor Ncube and Dr Mangudya are best advised to remain focussed in their mission and not to be dragged into dangerous experiments that have nothing to do with improving livelihoods for ordinary Zimbabweans who are more worried about putting bread on their tables.
Equally well is the fact that Professor Ncube seem to have sobered up to the reality that the Bretton Woods institutions have other agendas that are incompatible with Harare's thinking. What is therefore important for now is to follow the currency roadmap adopted by the RBZ and sustain that prevailing stability by ensuring that forex continues to flow into the auction system.
Advice from the Bretton Wood Institutions need is never a panacea in itself. It needs to be taken with a pinch of salt as no country has ever transformed itself into a developed nation on the back of advice from these international financial institutions.
Nathan Gurira is an economist. He writes here in his personal capacity. He can be contacted at nathangurira@gmail.com
Nathan Gurira
Each time he gets an opportunity to speak in Parliament, the Harare East Member of Parliament pulls no punches, scaring the daylight out of bureaucrats who present themselves in the august House without facts on their fingertips.
As chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the MDC-Alliance vice president is known for keeping on toes those who appear before the panel. But in as much as he is entitled to his opinion, Biti needs to exercise limits to his brush style and be modest enough to give credit where it is due, lest he risks being perceived as a rouble rouser, consumed in self-righteousness by criticising for the sake of criticism rather than making an effort to induce the change he wishes to see.
In a constitutional democracy such as ours, the gateway for the assumption of power is to join opposition politics. Be that as it may, being in opposition does not necessarily imply finding fault in every action of the sitting government. What I find preposterous is where the likes of Biti and other cavaliers start to contradict themselves, forgetting that they too must account for their actions.
For example, in March this year Biti, who was clad in a Jewish headgear, told Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, in his face, that the market had no confidence in him, along with the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), Dr John Mangudya, as he debated the economic situation in the country.
To achieve currency stability, he opined that Professor Ncube must repeal Statutory Instrument (SI) 33 of 2019 and SI 142 of 2019; allow the Zimbabwe dollar (ZW$) to co-exist with other currencies; allow market forces of demand and supply to determine the exchange rate; put a lot more emphasis on production; do away with export surrender requirements and eliminate budget deficits.
Introduced in February 2019, the import of SI 33 was that dollar balances held in local foreign currency (FCA) bank accounts and mobile payment platforms, as well as bond notes and coins were no longer regarded as equal in value to United States dollar (US$). This was to be followed with SI 142 in June of the same year, pronouncing the ZW$ as the sole legal tender in any transactions in Zimbabwe.
Five months down the line, Biti was back in the National Assembly singing a different tune, urging Professor Ncube, who along with Dr Mangudya are his favourite punch bags, to remove the dual pricing system, saying it was causing distortions in the economy, while creating accounting nightmares for industry and commerce.
"So, we are generating illegality upon illegality, but most importantly, we are creating distortions in the economy. Let us have one single pricing system. The dual pricing system is creating havoc in industry. It is creating accounting nightmares," he was quoted as saying while debating the Finance Bill, adding that ""If you run a business, it means you now have two sets of accounts: One that deals with the US$ economy and the other that deals with a local economy with two different tax obligations and interest implications. There is a different interest for the US$ and the local dollar which does not work. It will not work."
It is unfortunate that Professor Ncube missed the opportunity to remind Biti of the patent paradox, which could lead one to wonder if there is a policy blueprint to guide the MDC-Alliance officials as their pronouncements seem to follow times of the year (seasons) for in the intervening period much of what he recommended in March had since come to pass.
For instance, Zimbabwe is now operating a multi-currency regime, with the market based foreign currency (forex) auction trading system setting the exchange rate. Treasury has also eliminated budget deficits, which were fuelling money supply and inflation, with production bracing government's interventions in agriculture, mining, industry etc.
Just as well, Professor Ncube stuck to his guns because issues around currency are confidential and cannot be discussed in a public forum where members of the Fourth Estate would be feverishly looking for their next headlines. The Finance Minister is now wiser as well, having caused panic and pandemonium in the market with his reckless utterances in September 2018, which set the ZW$ on a downward slope.
While I hold no brief for Professor Ncube or Dr Mangudya, I find it strange that Biti who has been calling on sanctions to be imposed on the Zanu PF government is sincere in wishing the same administration well. I hope these two gentlemen will not be fooled into adopting a mono-currency regime when it is as clear as daylight that Zimbabwe does not have sufficient US dollars or Rands to support the country's economy.
Zimbabwe tried the mono-currency route before and it monumentally failed. Through SI 142 of 2019 – known as the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe RBZ (Legal Tender) Regulations – the ZW$ was declared the sole currency effective 24 June 2019. The Government had to review this position in July this year, following the continued plummeting of the ZW$.
That mono-currency system impoverished people and, if anything, Zanu PF was lucky to survive by the skin of its teeth: One can, therefore, see the political mischief in Biti's deception of pushing for the adoption of the US$ or his favourite South African Rand (by joining the Rand Union) before the establishment of supportive fundamentals because it will turn Zimbabweans against their government.
It is also quite obvious that instead of commending the duo of Professor Ncube and Dr Mangudya for introducing the forex auction trading system which has ushered in price stability, Biti – who is a darling of White House and Number 10 Downing Street – is now crying more than the bereaved by hiding behind "accounting challenges" to sneak in the mono-currency regime when accountants themselves are rooting for the obtaining situation.
Being an accountant myself, local companies are under no legal obligation to prepare two sets of accounts, unless their boards of directors request them to. The reporting currency remains the ZW$, although for tax purposes companies have to separate tax returns – one for US$ and another for ZW$ - which is purely a matter of currency conversion that does not warrant the country to risk the prevailing stability for the sake of avoiding such simple conversion.
In future, Biti speak authoritatively on matters legal and not to encroach into other professional fields when he is least qualified to do so unless if he wants to entrap his political rivals into pressing the self-destruct button.
Professor Ncube and Dr Mangudya are best advised to remain focussed in their mission and not to be dragged into dangerous experiments that have nothing to do with improving livelihoods for ordinary Zimbabweans who are more worried about putting bread on their tables.
Equally well is the fact that Professor Ncube seem to have sobered up to the reality that the Bretton Woods institutions have other agendas that are incompatible with Harare's thinking. What is therefore important for now is to follow the currency roadmap adopted by the RBZ and sustain that prevailing stability by ensuring that forex continues to flow into the auction system.
Advice from the Bretton Wood Institutions need is never a panacea in itself. It needs to be taken with a pinch of salt as no country has ever transformed itself into a developed nation on the back of advice from these international financial institutions.
Nathan Gurira is an economist. He writes here in his personal capacity. He can be contacted at nathangurira@gmail.com
Nathan Gurira
Source - Nathan Gurira
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