Harare (New Ziana) – The Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ) has dismissed reports that public transport operators in the capital are rejecting the newly introduced Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) ostensibly because it does not buy fuel.

In an interview with New Ziana on Friday, PAZ president Tafadzwa Goliati said the Zig currency was not yet in full circulation and when it was available, it was in very few hands.

“If anything, the transport sector is waiting for the local currency to be in circulation to alleviate change problems currently being felt after phasing out of the bond notes,” he said.

“I want to make it clear that we have had meetings with passenger operators in Harare and there was no resistance to accepting our homegrown currency. We accept it (Zig) just as we did with the bond notes, it’s actually convenient looking at matters of change.”

He said PAZ will, within a week, engage the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) to get ZiG allocations for transport operators to smoothen their operations.

“We had a meeting with public transport operators and resolved to approach the RBZ to allocate a certain daily allocation of ZiG so thatoperators have change for passengers.

“We did this before upon the introduction of bond notes, and you all know that the transport sector had readily available change,” he said.

Goliati urged passengers to be patient while modalities are being sorted out and also urged transport operators to devise mechanisms such as introducing coupons for convenience, till the ZiG is fully circulating.

The introduction of the ZiG has been received with mixed reactions with some being excited about it as it is expected to stabilise prices and the exchange, others are skeptical about its future while some doomsayers are wishing that it fails.

New Ziana