Thursday, February 5, 2009

Zimbabwe: Yesterday's trillionaires can't afford favourite drink









A man holds the new Zimbabwe currency specimen, Feb. 2, 2009. Zimbabwe's central bank revalued its dollar again, lopping another 12 zeros off its battered currency to try to tame hyperinflation and avert total economic collapse Tuesday. (Chinese media/AFP Photo)





A man holds the new Zimbabwe currency specimen, Feb. 2, 2009. Zimbabwe's central bank revalued its dollar again, lopping another 12 zeros off its battered currency to try to tame hyperinflation and avert total economic collapse Tuesday.(Chinese media/AFP Photo)
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BEIJING, Feb. 3 (Chinese medianet) -- Zimbabwe's central

bank revalued its dollar again, lopping another 12 zeros off its battered

currency to try to tame hyperinflation and avert total economic collapse

Tuesday.



The crisishas been worsened by political

stalemate, but the opposition last week agreed to join a coalition government,

raising prospects the economy could be saved from further ruin.

The southern African country is battling the world's

highest inflation rate, officially put at 231 million percent, and acute

shortages of food and foreign exchange.

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono

announced the new currency moves on Monday, adding that some foreign exchange

controls will be relaxed and gold producers now can sell bullion directly and

not to the central bank as in the past.

"This Monetary Policy Statement unveils yet another

necessary program of revaluing our local currency, through the removal of 12

zeroes, with immediate effect," Gono said in his MPC statement.

"Yesterday's trillionaires, I am sorry, will not be

able to buy their favourite drink today," said Gono.

"His statement does contain some positive measures

but it does not go far enough. It would appear he is trying to restore the

Zimbabwean dollar, but given the choice of multiple currencies, who would want

to trade in Zimbabwe dollars?" John Robertson, a leading Harare-based economist

said.  

(Agencies)

















Photo taken on Jan. 16, 2009 shows a specimen of the old Zimbabwe currency of one hundred trillion dollars. Zimbabwe's central bank revalued its dollar again, lopping another 12 zeros off its battered currency to try to tame hyperinflation and avert total economic collapse Tuesday.(Chinese media/AFP Photo)
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