Trading in any currency which is not the Zimbabwe dollar
will now attract a fixed $6 000 fine and failure to pay the fine will result in
the person involved being jailed.
The new rules gazetted yesterday, give the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe powers to arrest and fine people and businesses who continue charging
goods and services in any currency which is not the Zimbabwe dollar.
The new regulations empower RBZ to charge an extra fine of
$100 per day, for delays in payment of the $6 000 initial fine but when one
defaults for more than 90 days, the person will be jailed.
This comes as Government amended the Exchange Control Act
to include provisions of Exclusive Use of the Zimbabwe dollar Regulations,
associated civil penalty orders as well as the schedule for enforcement of the
civil penalty orders. Civil penalties
for the use of the United States dollar (or any other foreign currency) for
local transactions, which was banned earlier in June, was promulgated under
Statutory Instrument 212 of 2019 last month.
The amendment, which was done through the Presidential
Powers (Temporary Measures), amends section 2 of the principal Act by insertion
of paragraph d and section 5.
The amendment, which was done under SI-213 of 2019, also
effects offences and penalties that come with flouting the regulations.
In terms of the amendment to the Exchange Control Act, the
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has been empowered to issue civil penalty orders
and categories thereof.
The Act now also lists the variation of specific penalties,
as well as matters relating to the enforcement of the civil penalties.
According to SI-213 of 2019 Government has stipulated a $6
000 fine for anyone found pricing goods and services in foreign currency, with
a view to stopping the price madness on the market where some traders continue
to wilfully violate national regulations to price their goods and services in
local currency.
According to the regulations, failure to pay the prescribed
fine will attract an extra $100 daily, for each day in default.
The extra charge will run for 90 days before the accused is
committed to civil imprisonment.
However, for crimes regarded more serious, defaulters will
be fined a cumulative fee of $1 200 per day over 90 days. This is over and
above the $6 000 fixed fine in the event they fail to comply with the law.
The new regulations make it illegal for one to pay or to
receive payment in foreign currency in any domestic transaction. Herald
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