Harare, (New Ziana) -The Zimbabwe government will implement a raft of measures to promote the use of the new Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency, including exclusive payment for all services using the local currency, Finance Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube said on Monday.

Prof Ncube told the joint Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Budget and Finance and Industry and Commerce, that it is Government policy to create high demand for the local currency.

“It is government policy that we should create demand for the local currency. In this regard, going forward, certain revenue levies and government fees and services will be paid exclusively in ZiG. We are still doing the work to ensure that we promote the demand for the local currency,” he said.

He said the government was not limited to any set of ideas on how to increase the popularity of the ZiG.

“We will search low and high for any other measures that we can implement to ensure that our currency remains on demand,” he said.

Turning to the use of the ZiG for purchasing fuel, Prof Ncube said the country was still in transition but soon, dealers will accept the local currency without difficulty.

“I don’t know why they don’t accept ZiG. We are in a multi-currency regime, they ought to accept if a buyer of fuel wishes to pay in ZIG. This issue of transition from a volatile Zimbabwean dollar to a stable ZiG will take time for people to get their heads around it but with time they will accept ZiG without difficulty. They should accept ZiG,” he said.

He said his Ministry and the central bank will follow up on the acceptance of the ZiG by the market.

“This is an issue we will follow up to make sure they accept ZiG and build confidence in ZiG that they can exchange ZiG for USD to import their fuel and replenish stocks,” he said.

New Zian