Zimbabwe wants to chase out foreigners who run small shops because they refuse to accept local money. The government plans to crack down on these business people who sell things like groceries from tucked-away stores in Harare. Most of these foreign shop owners only take US dollars instead of Zimbabwe currency, making shopping hard for regular people who earn local money.
Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said they will release new rules very soon to enforce the law. He mentioned that many foreigners running these businesses arrived as refugees or entered the country illegally. These outsiders have taken over sectors meant for citizens according to Zimbabwe law. Ndlovu explained they need special legal powers to fix this growing problem.
The Zimbabwe currency scares small business owners because it keeps losing value. Many shop owners rig their payment machines to reject local currency transactions. The central bank recently told all registered businesses they must have machines that allow customers to pay with either currency. Officials want shops to accept both US dollars and local money for all purchases.
Government officials recently traveled to India to learn about a payment system that helps small businesses become official. The team includes people from the Finance Ministry, Central Bank, Industry Ministry, and security agencies. They hope to create something similar in Zimbabwe that will require all businesses to follow the rules. This would help the government collect more taxes from these operations.
Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said they will release new rules very soon to enforce the law. He mentioned that many foreigners running these businesses arrived as refugees or entered the country illegally. These outsiders have taken over sectors meant for citizens according to Zimbabwe law. Ndlovu explained they need special legal powers to fix this growing problem.
The Zimbabwe currency scares small business owners because it keeps losing value. Many shop owners rig their payment machines to reject local currency transactions. The central bank recently told all registered businesses they must have machines that allow customers to pay with either currency. Officials want shops to accept both US dollars and local money for all purchases.
Government officials recently traveled to India to learn about a payment system that helps small businesses become official. The team includes people from the Finance Ministry, Central Bank, Industry Ministry, and security agencies. They hope to create something similar in Zimbabwe that will require all businesses to follow the rules. This would help the government collect more taxes from these operations.
