THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has said a number of agencies are collecting revenue, but not remitting it to Treasury, a development that has left the financially-troubled government hamstrung.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
Speaking at a business forum organised by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries in collaboration with the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo recently, RBZ deputy governor, Kupukile Mlambo said the apex bank was fretting over a lot of agencies which are collecting revenue, but keeping it for their own use, instead of forwarding it to Treasury.
“We have lot of agencies that collect money in this country. The police, the parks and so forth, but a lot of these agencies don’t remit those monies to Treasury. We need to deal with those kinds of issues. But at the same time they need an allocation from the Treasury,” Mlambo said.
“I know that the minister has announced many times in the National Budget that, especially, the police and the parks should remit everything [they have collected]. I am yet to see their accounts. So that’s the challenge.”
In 2014, suspended Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) commissioner-general Gershem Pasi told Parliament that the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe National Roads Authority (Zinara) were not remitting all the money they collect to Treasury.
He said the police, for instance, were collecting between $3 million and $7 million at roadblocks monthly, money which never finds its way to Treasury at a time the government is financially hamstrung.
His statement, however, unsettled the police with spokesperson, senior assistant commissioner Charity Charamba angrily saying the claim “is a big falsehood, which is intended to whip public emotions against the police in pursuance of an obvious agenda”.
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She claimed the police only retained $1 million each month.
Besides the police and Zinara, other agencies and government departments that are not remitting funds to Treasury include the Registrar-General’s department, Environmental Management Agency and the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe.
The public has never been made aware of the revenue figures these departments generate and how it is used.
After pooling all resources, Treasury should then be able to allocate funds according to needs to ensure all government departments remain functional.
But, as Mlambo said, they expect Treasury to allocate them funds thereby earning double.
