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Source: Medical insurance for Zimbabweans in SA | The Herald March 25, 2019

Mr Choga

Leroy Dzenga Herald Correspondent
Government is considering providing health insurance services for Zimbabwean citizens based in South Africa.

The issue, which was agreed to by the Zimbabwean and South African governments during the recent Bi-National Commission, will see public health insurance provider Premier Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) setting up offices in South Africa.

According to minutes from the Bi-National Commission meetings seen by The Herald, Zimbabwe made the request and South Africa granted it.

August 2019 was set as the deadline for PSMAS to have registered in South Africa.

PSMAS public relations manager Mr Arthur Choga confirmed their participation in the Zim-SA Bi-National Commission.

“We participated in the Bi-National Commission after we realised that there is need for the services we offer,” he said.

“South Africa is home to a sizeable number of Zimbabweans and we believe that there are issues that they face that may be resolved by PSMAS getting registered to operate in South Africa.”

This is a plan which has been under deliberation for a while and the platform provided an opportunity for the public health insurance service provider.

“Reasonable groundwork has been covered over the last few years towards the realisation of this objective and the BNC presented an opportunity to share our vision with a wider audience, including policy makers,” said Mr Choga.

“The research we have conducted over the last few years shows that there is room for the services we offer and we believe our model will be competitive and relevant.”

The PSMAS leadership believes the move will help the firm ease foreign currency pressures being faced by the country.

“The model we use will be largely self-funding,” said Mr Choga. “As we grow, we are exploring ways of unlocking value for members and for the national health delivery system.

“We see this as an opportunity to unlock forex inflows in order to fund areas such as procurement of drugs which are currently expensive and difficult to access because of foreign currency challenges.”

PSMAS is a public health insurance company which commands around 70 percent of the local market share.

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Source: Payments shall be in US dollars: IATA | Herald (Business)

Kudakwashe Mhundwa Business Reporter
International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade association which represents interests of the world’s airlines, has issued a directive to local travel agents that all remittances of amounts due to them will only be accepted in United States dollars.

All payments accruing to airlines are routed through the Canada head-quartered group. However, depleted nostro accounts have been making it increasingly difficult to switch from bond note-denominated payments to US dollar-based settlements.

Ethiopian Airlines is reportedly failing to repatriate funds amounting to US$18 million from Zimbabwe due to the shortage of foreign currency in the country.

Other foreign airlines operating in Zimbabwe that are failing to repatriate their money, include South African Airways which is reportedly owed about US$10 million.

In a circular dated March 20, 2019, IATA said it can no longer accept the use of direct debit as a remittance method in the market.

“Pursuant of the monetary policy statement announced by the central bank, with effect from February 20, 2019, and the resulting banking infrastructure and the operating environment alignment charges in Zimbabwe, please be advised that effective immediately IATA can only accept remittances of amounts due in the billing currency of the BSP in Zimbabwe, the United states dollars (USD).

“We also regret to inform you that we can no longer support the use of direct debits as a remittance method in the market effectively today, the service has been suspended and will be unavailable until further notice.

“All IATA payments shall be in United States dollar and should be remitted via bank transfer or cash,” read part of the circular.

Similarly, the country’s national airliner, Air Zimbabwe, has also advised travel agents that air fares will remain unchanged in US dollar terms, however, RTGS payments will be determined by the exchange rate.

“In view of the monetary policy statement announced on February  20, 2019, IATA has advised that the Zimbabwe BSP billing currency is now in US dollars and can only accept remittances due in United States dollars.

“In that regard we further point our fares and other charges such as penalty fees, excess baggage and other services are currently denominated in USD. Our fees will remain unchanged in USD terms, RTGS sales are available through UM sales office and only at applicable exchange rate,” said Air Zimbabwe.

In January RwandaAir also withdrew sale of its ticked in local currency.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) last year committed to make monthly payments of US$4 million to pay off the $150 million owed to international airlines.

RBZ statistics show that $56,3 million had been spent on AITA and airlines during the January-June 2017 period, with banks having funded $13,5 million of that amount.

The post Payments shall be in US dollars: IATA appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Parly summons Ncube, Shiri over tobacco auction ruckus | Newsday (News)

PARLIAMENT has summoned Finance and Agriculture ministers to come and clear the air on why government has gone back on promises to pay tobacco farmers 50% of their earnings in United States dollars.

The tobacco marketing season opened last week with grumbles over the low price of the golden leaf at the auction floors.

Prices were pegged at $4,50 per kg on the first day, compared to $4,99 last year.

As if that was not enough to worry about, the central bank reneged on promises this year to pay growers 50% in foreign currency returns and the remaining 50% in real time gross settlement dollars (RTGS).

Goalposts were suddenly shifted when the market opened with farmers being told that all their payments would be made into their RTGS accounts.

The farmers were urged to write letters requesting that 50% be converted into foreign currency.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Wedza North MP David Musabayana requested that ministers – Mthuli Ncube (Finance) and Perrance Shiri (Agriculture) – come to Parliament to explain themselves.

“In that respect,” Musabayana said: “I am requesting the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Honourable Ncube to come and give a ministerial statement with regards to why he went back on his word on the promises that he had made to the farmers.

“In the same vein, I am also requesting the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Development to come with a ministerial statement in terms of how the prices of tobacco have gone down, whether he has carried out an investigation or if he is going to put any measures in place to ensure that farmers will not lose the money to be earned from their tobacco.”

Leader of the House and Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi was tasked by the Speaker to ensure his colleagues came to Parliament to explain.

Zimbabweans are resentful of the unstable local currency whose value keeps on fluctuating with savings continuously being eroded.

Government has adamantly refused to scrap the currency in place of the more stable United States dollar as the anchor currency.

— newzimbabwe.com

The post Parly summons Ncube, Shiri over tobacco auction ruckus appeared first on NewsDay Zimbabwe.

The post Parly summons Ncube, Shiri over tobacco auction ruckus appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: 15-tonne rock falls in Bikita | Newsday (News)

BY BRENNA MATENDERE

A HUGE rock estimated to weigh between 10 and 15 tonnes fell from Mapadza Mountain in Bikita on Saturday, sending the community into a panic mode as the incident came shortly after Cyclone Idai left hundreds of people dead and a trail of destruction in Manicaland, parts of Masvingo and Midlands provinces.

The Department of Civil Protection Unit, in a statement yesterday, confirmed the rock fall, but said there were no fatalities.

According to the DCP, the rock split into two after it plunged in a nearby depression.

Meanwhile, Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Larry Mavima said 27 families in Chirumanzu and Chiwundura were rendered homeless nearly a fortnight ago after their homes were destroyed by a Cyclone Idai-induced storm.

“We have been busy touring areas in the province where the cyclone affected villagers and destroyed property. We have been receiving donations to help the victims who had their crops and property destroyed and we continue to call for more because we intend to parcel out some to Chimanimani and Masvingo as well,” he said.

In Chiwundura seven families in ward 11 and 20 were left homeless after their homesteads were swept away. Livestock and crops were also destroyed. Gambiza Primary School’s two classroom blocks and four staff houses were destroyed.

Provincial administrator Abiot Maronge said 20 families in Chirumanzu had their homesteads razed.

“Several families numbering about 20 were left homeless by the Cyclone Idai in various wards of Chirumanzu district. The Department of Civil Protection is still quantifying the extent of the damages so that help which matches that is rendered. Temporary shelter like tents and food is what is critically needed at the moment,” he said.

In both Chirumanzu and Chiwundura, no fatalities were recorded.

The province had by Friday last week mobilised $260 000 in cash and goods towards the cyclone victims.

The post 15-tonne rock falls in Bikita appeared first on NewsDay Zimbabwe.

The post 15-tonne rock falls in Bikita appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Volcano fears in Bikita Masvingo as villagers saw plumes of smoke billowing from the mountain summit after a huge boulder fell. Authorities have moved to allay fears of a volcano eruption in Bikita, Masvingo and a Vumba dam wall collapse following earlier fears of the two disasters waiting to strike. There were social media reports […]