FORMER Finance minister Tendai Biti (Harare East MP)
yesterday demanded that Finance minister Mthuli Ncube appear before Parliament
to explain fiscal policy inconsistencies and apologise for “lying that he was
de-dollarising.”
Biti’s matter of privilege, which was raised in the
National Assembly, came as Norton MP Temba Mliswa piled more pressure on
government and Ncube saying that MPs’ US$50 equivalent salaries were meagre and
should be increased, while their fuel coupons should be in United States
dollars.
On Wednesday, Ncube increased civil servants’ salaries by
50% and awarded US$75 and US$30 allowances for the government workers and
pensioners, respectively, which would be paid as COVID-19 allowance for the
next three months.
But Biti said Ncube and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor
John Mangudya misled the nation when they claimed the country was introducing
its own currency at par with the US$.
He said people were shocked on October 1, 2018 when banks
were instructed to separate nostro FCA accounts and RTGS accounts.
Biti said this was followed by more policy inconsistencies
through statutory instruments where the country was told that the
multi-currency regime was no longer legal and that the Zimdollar was the sole
currency of trade.
“We made a point to Ncube that the conditions did not yet
exist for introduction of our own currency. We were further confused yesterday
(Wednesday) when the Minister of Finance effectively de-dollarised by the
introduction of US$75 allowance to civil servants and US$30 to war veterans.
“It is our contention that Ncube owes Zimbabwe an apology
and that he should repeal SI 33 and SI 42 and the Finance Act because he is
introducing the Zimbabwe dollar through the back door. The Minister of Finance
has been involved in massive lying,” Biti said.
Mliswa then complained about MPs welfare saying while they
got a measly US$50 equivalent salary per month, their counterparts in Kenya
were getting between US$10 000 and US$15 000 per month.
“We are not immune to the difficulties and the prices in this
country. Soon you will read stories that MPs are pick-pocketing and stealing at
supermarkets and then you blame us. We want our coupons in US$ and we can no
longer be compromised,” he said.
Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi’s response was that
Parliament administration should approach Treasury about MPs’ vehicles and
fuel.
This angered Mliswa who then took a dig on government,
saying that Zimbabwe was in the doldrums because the Executive was busy
stealing.
“Parliament does not generate income. Ministers are busy
stealing because they are the ones that generate money which is not going to
the fiscus. It is this plundering that is making people of this country to
suffer. We (MPs) are not here to do chicken runs. We came to represent people,
but because government is stealing, nothing is coming to us,” Mliswa said.
Acting Speaker of the National Assembly William Mutomba did
not respond to the issues. Newsday
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