Zimbabwe citizens will continue paying passport fees in US dollars despite the recent introduction of a new currency, the deputy finance minister announced.
David Kuda Mnangagwa stated on Monday that there is a pre-existing agreement between the government and the Lithuanian passport printing company, Garsu Pasaulis, stipulating that passport fees be charged in US dollars.
Last month, Zimbabwe introduced a new gold-backed currency called Zig, an acronym for “Zimbabwe Gold,” in an effort to stabilize its struggling economy. This new currency replaced the Zimbabwean dollar, the RTGS, which had lost three-quarters of its value this year.
The decision to continue charging passport fees in dollars has sparked criticism, with some Zimbabweans arguing that it reflects a lack of confidence in the new currency.
“As long as the Zig is not accepted by its issuer, the government, it will soon become worthless,” prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono commented on X (formerly Twitter).
The government of Zimbabwe has also increased passport fees to $200 (£160), up from $120 last December.
