admin
Editor — Civil servants are somehow justified in requesting to be paid at inter-bank rate because a number of companies in Victoria Falls are still paying workers in United States dollars despite Government directive not to do so.
Companies have devised a method to defy the Government policy. A number of companies in the resort town have asked their employees to open bank accounts in the neighbouring countries such as Zambia, Botswana, among others where their hard currency green backs are deposited.
The workers during month ends foray to make withdrawals from these accounts. These are the people who would fuel black market upon coming back from making withdrawals and get wads and wads of Rtgs dollars cash or in Ecocash.
On the other hand, some companies are paying employees by depositing RTGS dollars in their accounts at inter-bank market rate resulting in the least paid worker taking home a staggering $12 000 RTGS compared to civil servants.
It is against this backdrop that civil servants and some parastatal workers are clamouring for salaries at inter-bank market. It is painful and immoral for educated professionals to be earning a meagre $800 RTGS while an ordinary cleaner or maid earns 10 fold as much.
Some known companies are paying hard cash stashed in envelopes and deposit a few Zimbabwean dollars in the employees’ accounts in disguise.
I can freely reveal this nefarious activity which brings inequality and chaos in the economic fabric of the country.
After earning such hefty salaries, these are the same people who would been seen buying groceries madly in supermarkets and splashing hard currency in the form of rentals to land owners in the resort town.
This explains why landlords are still adamant in demanding rentals in American dollars which is cumbersome to civil servants who do not earn such kind of currency. I think it is a sabotage move by companies in Victoria Falls to induce their employees to open accounts in the foreign land so as to circumvent Government policy.
All companies must abide by what Government says so as to enhance economic growth and development. Creating inequality among workers in the same country is tantamount to sabotage and promoting fertile grounds for unrest and job action.
May the relevant authorities investigate this issue and whip the perpetrators to the line.
Do something about this now or else economic unrest and job action in the public sector will not end.
As a budding economic practitioner and a development scientist, I aver that the practices of these companies in Victoria Falls as a Special Economic Zone is a panacea for underdevelopment and retarding envisaged economic recovery by the Government.
Development Practitioner, Victoria Falls
Online Reporter