Zimbabwe urged to name and shame companies abusing the foreign currency facility as fines do not work

HON. CHIDUWA:  Thank you Hon. Speaker…

Hon. Ziyambi having passed between the Hon. Member speaking and the Chair.

HON. ZWIZWAI:  Hon. Speaker, Hon. Ziyambi has passed through your way – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order.  In terms of our Standing Orders, there is no offence if any of the Ministers or any of the Members pass through here and bow, there is no offence.

HON. BITI:  He was on his feet.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  You are allowed to go out when the Hon. Member is speaking.  There is no between here.  No!  Go back to your Standing Orders.

HON. CHIDUWA:  Thank you Hon. Speaker and thank you Hon. Markham for the supplementary question.  In our previous submissions, we have said we have taken the route of moral suasion and we have reached that stage where we have seen that moral suasion is not working.  We have also said according to the Finance Act, we are instituting civil and administrative charges.  Again, what we have seen is people are willing to pay.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Hon. Minister, do not harp on what you said before. The question is, publish, blacklist and send to prison.  That is the question.

HON. CHIDUWA:  There is need for us to say, instead of just relying on civil and administrative charges, we make these violations criminal.  So, the criminality now will then allow us to send to jail where the prosecution has been done.  The issue of naming and shaming, this is an issue that I am also going to consult further but I do not think it is something which is difficult because we have got the list already.  It is an issue that I can bring back to say if there is no illegality there, then we are going to publish.  Otherwise, we have got all the names.

HON. T. MLISWA:  On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.  The Minister can furnish this House with a list of those who have benefited and those who have violated.  It is our role of oversight to know that and for the public to know.  When can he bring that list into this House?  In fact, it is outstanding.  If you recall some time, they were supposed to bring the list of all who have benefited.  Now we want a list of those who have violated so that we name and shame them, so that the Reserve Bank is not implicated in working with them.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, there is a request to bring the list to the House.  The question on the law – this is the place where the law is made.  So why do you not bring in your proposed legislation so that the august House can look at the law and then you become more effective in curtailing arbitrage?  Thank you.

HON. GONESE: On a point of order Hon. Speaker. I request that the Hon. Minister come up with a…

Hon. S. Sithole having stood up while Hon. Gonese still held the floor

THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Sithole, there is a Member standing, so you cannot stand as well.

HON. GONESE: My point of order is for the Hon. Minister to come with a Ministerial Statement because this issue of the exchange rate has impact on prices, inflation and on the livelihoods of the people of Zimbabwe.  So it is very critical and crucial.  Therefore, I am requesting that instead of just bringing in the list, I propose that the Hon. Minister comes up with a comprehensive statement, dealing with, among other issues, the reason why this disparity between the auction and the parallel market rate is widening.  The gap is actually widening instead of narrowing and these are the issues which we want to interrogate on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe.  I thank you.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, you got the request.  Perhaps you can also indicate the way forward in order to arrest the situation.

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