Zimbabwe Business Watch : Week 32
August 6th, 2008
The RBZ Governor launched the new Monetary Policy Statement, ignorantly claiming that the country’s ills are due to “Western Sanctionsâ€.
Central Government are releasing very few statistics as they are largely politically unpalatable.
The new daily cash withdrawal limit has done little to alleviate pressure as, in the time that this was being planned, inflation has soared and 2 trillion now only buys 1 chicken. Furthermore, there are serious questions over economic data being issued by Government – for example, their claimed tourist arrivals would require 138 Boeing 767’s in 90 days just to cover visitors claimed to be coming from America.
As with everything now, business exists in the most hostile environment ever, where the government/military authority operates entirely with a political objective.
Businessmen are now threatened with immediate jail for “profiteering†and there is no suggestion of reconciliation in view of the talks in Pretoria deciding the immediate future of the country.
This time last year, first half 2007, exports achieved about USD840 million and this year this has dropped by a further USD100 million.
Needless to say, foreign currency receipts followed the same pattern, putting further pressure on an already disastrous situation. Government Domestic Debt has soared to 790 Quadrillion, a 13 000 fold increase in 19 weeks.
August 6th, 2008 11:58
do you get the feeling that whatever the outcome of the talks, Zanu will just carry on regardless, just like they have always done, and ignore anything they sign?
And that the new “govt” if any will just be window dressing in order to get aid flowing in so they can skim off the top?
And that the JOC will just carry on, formally or in secret, selling all the mines and diamonds and paying their own private armies for protection?
and that the talks are in secret because they dont want civil society to find out anything until its too late to argue, and that’s why they dont want any input from the actual zim people because they dont want them to have anthing to do with the new govt?
apart from the next “election” which will be as bad as the last, by ignoring their agreements, just like they have always done, and getting everyone to vote Zanu, by very simply starving the MDC to death so they cant vote, just like they are doing now.
and then they will appear on the voters roll, only after they are dead, and vote Zanu, just like they did the last time.
Lets see if the new govt can come up wih any idea that isn’t window dressing to get Western money they can skim off. If Zanu have ever had any other than that.
August 8th, 2008 11:51
This is mind boggling! Do these officials actually say these things with aa straight face?