Back To School Update: Parents Can Pay Fees Using ZiG Currency

The Government has announced that parents can pay their children’s school fees using the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), among other currencies.

Schools are opening for the second term next week on 7 May.

Second Term Notice

Circular No.10 of 2022 from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education gave the leeway for parents to pay in ZiG.

Parents and guardians can pay school fees using ZiG currency at the prevailing official rate. Schools are also allowed to peg their fees against the United States dollar.

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Parents Can Pay School Fees Using ZiG, Government Says

Mr. Taungana Ndoro, Director of Communications and Advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, said on the ZiG school fees payment:

“In cases where fees are pegged in foreign currency for value preservation purposes, parents can make their payments in the local currency at the prevailing official rate on the day of the transaction. The ministry emphasises compliance with this policy to ensure fairness and flexibility in the payment of fees.”

The Longstanding Contention Over Fees Payment In Local Currency

School Fees ZiG — *Back To School Update: Parents Can Pay Fees Using ZiG Currency [Image: NHA]*

Over the years, some schools have gone viral for refusing to accept the local currency, formerly the ZWL. Some pegged the local currency fees with exchange rates higher than the parallel market rate.

In 2022, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) went after schools which charged fees exclusively in United States dollars.

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Last week, Westminster International School was charging fees at the exorbitant exchange rate of 1:23. The official rate is one US dollar to ZiG13,56.

H-Metro reported that the school is charging US$1,818 for payment in the greenback. This translates to ZiG41,814 using the 1:21 exchange rate. Officially, it should be ZiG41,814.

The post Back To School Update: Parents Can Pay Fees Using ZiG Currency appeared first on iHarare News.