Thursday, September 22, 2016

Here We Go Again: Zimbabwe Says It Will Print Its Own 'Bond Notes'

PRI reports:
Zimbabwe announced Thursday it will introduce next month "bond notes" equivalent to the US dollar, sparking fears of a return to the hyperinflation that wrecked the economy several years ago.

The country, led by authoritarian President Robert Mugabe, adopted the US dollar and South African rand in 2009 after inflation — which peaked at 231 million percent — rendered the local dollar worthless.

But Zimbabwe has run out of US dollar notes in recent months and hopes to ease the cash crunch by printing its own "bond notes" that will be valued in denominations of $2, $5, $10 and $20.

The plan immediately attracted criticism, with analysts saying the token currency would not hold its US dollar value and would be seen as a new version of the valueless local dollar.

A wave of protests has shaken Mugabe's regime this year, with "No to bond notes" among the regular slogans expressing grievances against the government amid a worsening economic crisis.

"The bond notes will start to circulate by the end of October and will be at par with the US dollar," Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya said in Harare.

"We anticipate by the end of the year $75 million will be in the market."...

[President Robert] Mugabe, who looks frail but still gives long speeches in public, has vowed to stand for re-election in 2018, while his wife Grace, 51, is seen as one of his possible successors.
 -RW

(via LRC)

1 comment:

  1. Mugabe is one of those despots in this world who honestly I would love to see get overthrown and get what he really deserves. Also I wouldnt mind having a Zimbabwe note just as a collectors item

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