Zimbabwe ministry collaborates for ZiG payments in schools

THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will partner with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, Financial Intelligence Unit as well as the Zimbabwe Republic Police to ensure schools accept ZiG as payment of school fees and other financial obligations.

In a statement released yesterday ahead of schools opening today, the Ministry also said parents or guardians were under no obligation to buy school uniforms or stationery from schools but were instead free to buy the items from any shop of their choice.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education appreciates that the first term’s school holiday has ended and that pupils were given adequate time to rest and are ready to resume term two schooling.

As we approach the commencement of the second term, the Ministry would like to advise the nation and reiterate its policy regarding the payment of approved school fees and levies.

The current local currency in the form of Zimbabwe Gold(ZIG) as announced by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) through a monetary policy statement, is a legal tender of transaction in schools,” said the Ministry.

It said the ZiG currency forms a key basis of transaction in the payment of fees and levies and in procuring of other goods, services and assets, amongst the basket of other currencies and school authorities are expected to abide by the pronouncement made by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Parents/ guardians, said the Ministry, must be given an opportunity to pay in the currency of their choice, and not exclusively in a certain currency and especially foreign currency, the USD in particular.