By Tendai Chisiri
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has introduced various measures as inflation continues to rise to 30.7% on a month-on-month basis for June 2022 thereby increasing the year-on-year
inflation for June 2022 to 191.6%.
In a press statement, RBZ Governor DR John Mangudya said RBZ’s MPC resolved to introduce gold coins into the market which will be minted by Fidelity Gold
Refineries (Private) Limited and will be sold to the public through normal banking.
“The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (the Bank)
met on 24 June 2022 and deliberated on macroeconomic and financial developments
in the economy. The MPC also deliberated on the progress made in the implementation
of measures announced by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe
on 7 May 2022, which measures, the MPC noted, had begun to bear fruit, with the
convergence of the auction and the willing-buyer willing-seller foreign exchange rates”, said Mangudya.
“The MPC expressed great concern on the recent rise in inflation, which increased to
30.7% on a month-on-month basis for June 2022 thereby increasing the year-on-year
inflation for June 2022 to 191.6%. The Committee noted that the increase in inflation
was undermining consumer demand and confidence and that, if not controlled, it
would reverse the significant economic gains achieved over the past two years. In that
regard, the MPC resolved to put in place the following measures to align the interest
rates with the inflation developments, enhance circulation of foreign exchange and
introduce an investment instrument to assist holders to store value in gold coins”, he added.
The measures are on : Interest Rates and Statutory Reserves
The MPC reviewed interest rates and statutory reserves with effect from 1st July 2022
as follows:
i. Increasing the Bank policy rate from 80% to 200% per annum;
ii. Increasing the Medium Term Accommodation interest rate from 50% to 100%
per annum;
iii. Increasing the minimum deposit rate for ZW$ savings from the current 12,5%
to 40% per annum and increasing the minimum rate for ZW$ time deposits
from 25% to 80% per annum; and
iv. Maintaining the Statutory Reserve Requirements at the current levels of 10%
for demand and call deposits and 2.5% for savings and time deposits.
Liquidation of Unutilised Retained Export Receipts
In order to enhance the circulation of foreign currency in the economy, as well as to
support the willing-buyer willing-seller foreign exchange market, the MPC resolved to
maintain the current export retention thresholds across the various sectors of the
economy and that 25% of the unutilised export receipts shall be liquidated at the
willing-buyer willing-seller exchange rate after 120 days from the date of receipt of
the export proceeds.
Introduction of Gold Coins as a Store of Value
The MPC resolved to introduce gold coins into the market as an instrument that will
enable investors to store value. The gold coins will be minted by Fidelity Gold
Refineries (Private) Limited and will be sold to the public through normal banking
channels.
Forward Market for Foreign Currency
Having noted the widespread use of forward pricing in foreign exchange by some
economic agents, the MPC resolved that mechanisms to formalise forward pricing
arrangements should be created through the development of a market for forward
exchange rates. The appropriate measures in this regard will be announced in due
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