Zimbabwe owes UK nearly 500 000 in fines and rates

Zimbabwe owes the United Kingdom nearly 500 000 pounds in fines and rates according to British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Hague told the House of Commons on Tuesday that Zimbabwe was one of the 62 diplomatic missions that owed 49.7 million pounds in London congestion fees. It owed 359 360 pounds.

Zimbabwe ranked number 10 among African countries with Nigeria top of the list. Nigeria owed 2.6million pounds. It was followed by Sudan with 1.5 million, Kenya 1.1 million, Tanzania 897 000, Nigeria 769 000, South Africa 726 000, Sierra Leon 637 000, and Zambia 477 000.

The United States topped the list and owed just over 5 million pounds.

Zimbabwe topped the list of the countries that owed non-domestic rates. It owed 108 613 pounds out of a total of 566 009 pounds as at 7 May 2011.

Last month Britain’s employment Minister Edward Davey said Zimbabwe owed 190.4 million pounds to the Export Credit Guarantee Department and had not indicated when it would repay the money.

Zimbabwe is struggling to pay its huge external debt which is over $7 billion and is under pressure to cut its huge domestic expenditure, especially on salaries of civil servants where there are reported to be more than 75 000 ghost workers.

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