eBusiness Weekly
HARARE – The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) on Thursday said the recently promulgated Statutory Instrument 142 of 2019 which outlawed use of foreign currencies for domestic transactions will not affect foreign tourists.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube on Monday announced the scrapping of multiple currencies, introduced in 2009, and the re-introduction of the Zimbabwe dollar as the sole legal tender in a move aimed at stabilizing prices and containing inflation.
In a statement, ZTA said any freely convertible foreign currencies remained acceptable in Zimbabwe.
“The ZTA would like to assure all visitors to Zimbabwe that the recently promulgated SI 142 of 2019 will not negatively affect the travelling public, specifically foreign visitors. The regulations are meant for any transactions carried out within Zimbabwe, where it is now illegal to use foreign currency in hard cash,” it said.
“The legal tender shall be the Zimbabwe dollar in both cash and electronic format,” it added.
Despite the ban on using foreign currencies to pay for local transactions, any freely convertible foreign currencies remained acceptable in Zimbabwe.
“Credit cards are readily acceptable everywhere in Zimbabwe where relevant arrangements have been made with the international credit card companies such as Visa, MasterCard and others issued by banks in the countries of origin of the travelers.
The ZTA said visitors were also still able to withdraw local cash from international credit card enabled Automated Teller Machines of different banks.
“Foreign cash may be exchanged at the bank, bureau-de-change or any other authorised foreign currency dealers at the prevailing bank rates,” it said.
It dismissed as false, reports that police were randomly searching for foreign currency on persons.
“The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority has it from authoritative sources that reports circulating in certain sections of the social media purporting that police are authorised to stop and search people for foreign currency are untrue and should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve,” the ZTA said. – New Ziana
