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2024 Monetary Policy Statement
2024 Monetary Policy Statement
AN ZI
B
M
E
BA
S E RV
B WE
RE
2024 MONETARY
POLICY STATEMENT
By
DR JOHN MUSHAYAVANHU
GOVERNOR
05 APRIL 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................. 77
TABLE OF FIGURES
3
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Gold Tokens Issuances-as of 31 March 2024 .................................................................... 9
Table 2:Total Foreign Currency Receipts (US$ millions) .................................................................... 11
Table 3: Retail Foreign Exchange Auctions as of 12 January 2024 ..................................................... 12
Table 4: Wholesale FX Auction Results – 12 January 2024 ................................................................ 13
Table 5: Global Growth Projections (%) ............................................................................................ 15
Table 6: Cumulative Gold Deliveries to FPR for 2023 (kgs) ................................................................ 17
Table 7: Components of Money Supply Growth................................................................................ 22
Table 8: Foreign Payments by Category in US$ Millions (Jan –Dec 2023) .......................................... 28
Table 9: Banking sector architecture ................................................................................................ 35
Table 10: Financial Soundness Indicators .......................................................................................... 36
Table 11: Banking Sector Capitalisation Levels by Institution ............................................................ 37
Table 12: Financial Inclusion Indicators as at 31 December 2023 ...................................................... 50
Table 13: Payment Access Points and Devices as of December 2023 ................................................ 59
Table 14: Minimum Capital Requirements........................................................................................ 72
SECTION ONE
3. The EL-Nino-induced drought, which has turned out to be more severe than
initially anticipated is expected to impact negatively on the domestic economy’s
growth trajectory. The dry spell and high temperatures experienced since the
beginning of February 2024 have greatly affected the 2023/24 summer crop which
was generally fair in January 2024. The domestic growth trajectory will also be
affected by a slowdown in commodity prices, and subdued aggregate demand.
However, other sectors such as construction and tourism will remain on a positive
growth path and even support the economy’s resilience.
5
4. The subdued growth of the economy will further be exacerbated by the pass-through
effects of the big global funding squeeze which has seen global interest rates
remaining elevated amid lingering inflationary pressures. In addition, geo-political
factors characterised by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza with their concomitant
adverse implications for global trade and supply-side logistics remain a drag on
global economies, including Zimbabwe.
5. Given the above concerns, the Bank is recalibrating its monetary policy framework
to re-anchor price and exchange rate stability and to boost confidence in the local
currency. The Bank’s priority policy focus is critical for supporting the economy’s
growth prospects through the restoration of stability, convertibility, and transactional
convenience of the local currency. In addition, fostering the continued use of the
local currency plays an important role in the multi-currency basket.
7. The robust foreign currency receipts supported the improved foreign currency
deposits in the banking sector, foreign currency circulating in the economy, and
overall aggregate demand.
8. In line with global trends, the country’s monetary and financial conditions have also
remained tight with the local currency constituting just under 20% of the total money
supply in the economy. As such, the observed growth in monetary aggregates has
6
mainly been attributed to the impact of exchange rate movements. The financial
sector has remained safe, sound, and adequately capitalised to ably support the
envisaged growth trajectory.
10. Against this background, this Monetary Policy Statement primarily focuses on
immediate measures necessary to boost the demand for local currency in the multi-
currency economy, fostering a stable and sustainable exchange rate, rebuilding
market confidence and policy credibility and supporting a stable and sustainable
economy as enshrined in Vision 2030 and (National Development Strategy 1)
NDS1.
11. The rest of the Statement is organised as follows: Section Two assesses the
effectiveness of previous monetary policy measures; Section Three highlights the
recent global and domestic economic developments and outlook; Section Four
provides financial sector developments; Section Five provides the new monetary;
policy stance for the next six months; Section Six outlines the economic and inflation
outlook; and lastly Section Sevent concludes the Monetary Policy Statement.
7
SECTION TWO
12. The Monetary Policy measures implemented by the Bank since July 2023 have
assisted in supporting economic resilience and mitigating speculative attacks on the
foreign exchange markets. The Bank maintained a tight monetary policy stance
typified by high interest rates, tight liquidity management, and management of
foreign exchange to foster price and exchange rate stability in the economy. An
evaluation of the policies implemented since July 2023 is .
14. Monthly inflation declined from a peak of 12.1% in June 2023 to an average of 2.1%
up to December 2023. However, inflation peaked at 55.3% in March 2024, from
about 47.6% in February 2024, mainly driven by the pass-through effects of
exchange rates.
15. The potential negative impact of high interest rates on economic growth was,
however, addressed through the Medium-Term Bank Accommodation (MBA)
facility which had relatively lower interest rates pegged at 75% per annum. This
facility has gone a long way in supporting the productive sectors of the economy.
Gold coins and Gold-backed digital tokens
16. The Bank continued to use value preservation instruments which included gold coins
and Gold-Backed Digital Tokens (GBDTs) to manage liquidity. A total of 39,103
gold coins of various denominations with a cumulative value of ZW$63.47 billion
and US$0.8 million, had been sold as of 31 March 2024. The bulk of gold coin sales
(78%) were taken up by corporates while individuals accounted for 22%.
17. A total of 1,624 gold coins were redeemed by customers between 25 January 2023
and 31 March 2024, of which 1,447 coins and 177 coins were for US$2.46 million
and ZW$700.4 million, respectively. All coins which were redeemed by customers
were resold to the market.
18. To increase the divisibility and affordability of gold coins, the Bank introduced
Gold-Backed Digital Tokens (GBDT) measured in milligrams, which is one
hundredth of a gram.
19. The Bank is currently issuing Gold-Backed Digital Tokens on tap basis. As of 31
March 2024, a cumulative total of 1163 applications were processed, purchasing
tokens valued at ZW$466.99 billion and US$5.0 million. The cumulative total
amount of gold purchased was 917,278,972 milligrams (equivalent to 917.2814 kg
of gold) as shown in Table 1.
9
Units Sold ZW$ Sales Value US$ Sales
Date Bids
(mg) Value
Dec-23 44 50,934,632 22,708,413,948.54 666
Total 2023 776 523,846,336 102,104,684,190.42 5,020,689
Jan-24 84 129,457,176 88,436,117,288.67 20
Feb -24 141 168,835,906 148,230,739,818.75 22
Mar-24 160 95,139,554 133,238,590,655.77 0
Total 2024 385 393,432,636 364,891,890,388.75 42
Grand Total 1163 917,278,972 466,996,574,579.17 5,020,731
20. As of 31 March 2024, a total of 69,949,215 GBDT had been redeemed at a value
of US$4.146 million and ZW$1.6 billion. This represents under 10% of the total
GBDT issued, a reflection that most of the instruments were purchased as a store
of value.
Statutory Reserves
21. The Bank continued to review the statutory reserve requirements in line with the
tight monetary policy stance. To this effect, the statutory reserve requirements on
both local and foreign currency demand and call deposits were standardised to
15% in September 2023, while savings and time deposits were maintained at 5%.
The reserve requirements continue to play a key role in mopping up liquidity and
supporting financial stability in the economy.
10
Table 2:Total Foreign Currency Receipts (US$ millions)
23. Foreign currency inflows have shown signs of strong recovery during the first two
months of 2024. The foreign currency receipts for January and February 2024
amounted to US$2.2 billion compared to US$1.8 billion received during the same
period in 2023, representing a 23% increase, driven by strong exports and
remittances.
25. Further efforts to manage liquidity saw the Bank issuing RBZ instruments as
collateral instead of cash cover for foreign currency structures undertaken with
banks.
11
The Auction System
26. In 2023, the Bank consolidated the Main Auction and the Micro, Small, and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Auction into a Retail Foreign Exchange Auction
system with a weekly maximum limit of US$5 million. The Bank successfully
held 48 Retail Auctions in 2023 bringing the cumulative total to 172 since
inception in June 2020 to 12 January 2024, when the Auction System was
discontinued.
27. The Bank allotted a total of US$410.2 million in 2023 under the retail auction
system, representing around 70.2% of total bids submitted. Cumulative allotments
of the retail auction system since its inception in July 2020 amounted to US$4.12
billion by the time the Auction was discontinued, as shown in Table 3.
28. In 2023, raw materials dominated the allotments accounting for US$188.8 million,
which was 51% of total allotments. Machinery and equipment were second at 17%
with an allotment of US$61.47 million. The residual 32% went towards payment
for consumables, pharmaceuticals, and other critical needs of the economy.
12
29. Since the introduction of the wholesale foreign exchange auctions on 7 June 2023,
the Bank held 34 auctions. Table 4 shows developments in the wholesale auction
market.
30. Cumulatively, the Bank allotted US$464.9 million, under the Wholesale Foreign
Exchange Auction System, representing around 95.1% of total bids submitted. The
Bank has, however, also delayed the settlement of the Wholesale auction of around
US$80.9 million since discontinuation of the Auction System.
31. The Bank also availed US$20.2 million to the Bureaux de Change to facilitate
formal access to foreign currency by individuals, and small to medium-scale
enterprises.
13
SECTION THREE
33. The intensifying geo-political conflicts and the growing intensity and frequency
of extreme weather events coupled with the tight global financial conditions driven
by the need to contain inflation, particularly in advanced economies, have
increased the underlying global risks and vulnerabilities and may further impact
growth in the outlook period.
Table 5: Global Growth Projections (%)
2022 2023 2024
World Output 3.5 3.1 3.1
Advanced Economies 2.6 1.6 1.5
USA 1.9 2.5 2.1
Euro Area 3.4 0.5 0.9
Emerging Markets and 4.1 4.1 4.1
Development Economies (EMDEs)
China 3.0 5.2 4.6
Sub-Saharan Africa 4.0 3.3 3.8
South Africa 1.9 0.6 1.0
Zimbabwe 6.5 5.5 3.5
Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, January 2024
Global Inflation
34. Global inflation is forecast to decline steadily, from 6.9% in 2023 to 5.8% in 2024,
due to tight monetary policy, coupled with lower international commodity
prices. As a result, most countries are now winding down the policy tightening
cycles which have reached a plateau, prompting most central banks to keep policy
rates unchanged.
35. Risks to the outlook are more balanced than they were six months ago on account
of the resolution of US debt ceiling tensions and the decisive action taken by the
Swiss and US authorities, to contain financial turbulence. The likelihood of a hard
landing has, therefore, receded. The balance of risks to global growth has,
however, tilted to the downside. More climate and geopolitical shocks could cause
additional food and energy price spikes.
37. In 2023, the domestic economy is estimated to have grown by 5.5%, a slowdown
from 6.5% realised in 2022. The growth was on account of better performance by
agriculture, mining, ICT and tourism, supported by expected improvements in
electricity generation in the second half of the year.
38. The mining sector, which has become the biggest contributor to foreign currency
receipts also continues to support growth, benefiting largely from ongoing
investments in lithium production, following a rise in global demand for the
manufacture of batteries for electrical vehicles. Gold deliveries to Fidelity Gold
Refinery (FGR) amounted to 30,106.71 kilograms in 2023 despite a slowdown in
deliveries in the first and second quarters of the year. Cumulative gold deliveries
to FGR by the end of 2023 are shown in Table 6.
16
Table 6: Cumulative Gold Deliveries to FGR for 2023 (kg)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Total 2023
Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter
Primary
2,514.44 3,005.54 3,109.74 2,815.49 11,445.21
producers/kg
Small Scale
3,679.64 4,981.40 5,175.13 4,825.32 18,661.50
producers/kg
Total 6,194.08 7,986.94 8,284.87 7,640.81 30,106.71
Source: FGR, 2024
39. Small scale producers remain the major producers accounting for 62% of the
deliveries whilst primary producers accounted for 38%.
40. In 2024, the El Nino-induced drought will significantly weigh down economic
growth prospects. The drought brought on by El Nino, which has proved to be
more severe than envisaged, is predicted to have a detrimental effect on the growth
trajectory of the domestic economy. The 2023–24 summer crop, which was largely
fair in January 2024, has been significantly negatively impacted by the dry spell
and high temperatures that have been prevalent since the beginning of February
2024. The direction of domestic growth will also be adversely impacted by a
downturn in commodity prices and a reduction in aggregate demand. Other
sectors, including tourism and construction will, however, continue to grow
favourably and even contribute to the resilience of the economy.
Inflation Developments
41. Inflation pressures dissipated from June 2023 because of bold monetary and fiscal
measures implemented by both the Bank and Government. The measures included
the liberalisation of the exchange rate supported by the takeover of the Bank’s
external liabilities and the requirement for duties and taxes to be paid in local
currency which increased the demand for the local currency. These measures
resulted in tight liquidity in the market which gave rise to benign inflation
conditions. As a result, annual inflation decelerated from 30.9% in June 2023 to
17.8% in October 2003. Annual inflation, however rebounded to 26.5% in
17
December 2023 and remained elevated at 47.6% in February 2024 driven by the
weakening of the exchange rate, as shown in Figure 1.
100
80
60
40
20
0
Nov-22
Mar-23
Nov-23
Mar-24
Jul-22
Sep-22
Jan-23
May-23
Jul-23
Sep-23
Jan-24
All Items Food and non alcoholic beverages Non food
42. Month-on-month inflation also declined from a peak of 12.10% in June 2023 to
-1.3% in August 2023. Driven by the exchange rate volatility, the month-on-month
inflation rebounded to 4.7% in December 2023 and 5.4% in February 2024. Figure
2 shows the trend in month-on-month inflation since December 2021.
18
Figure 2: Monthly inflation January 2022 to December 2023 (%)
19
16
13
10
7
4
1
-2
-5
Dec-21
Jun-22
Sep-22
Dec-22
Jun-23
Sep-23
Dec-23
Mar-22
Mar-23
Mar-24
Food and non alcoholic beverages Non food All Items
43. Monthly food inflation fell from a peak of 18.23% in June 2023 to -1.8% in August
2023 and rebounded to 15.01% in December 2023, before decelerating to 9.83%
in February 2024. Food inflation exhibited a high volatility in 2023, attributed to
speculative pricing and greed inflation which led to Government lifting restrictions
on imports of some basic food items and grain.
44. Monthly non-food inflation which also fell from 9.53% in June 2023 to -1.12% in
August 2023, before reaching 2.90% by December 2023, was largely driven by
housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels. The overly low monthly inflation
in August 2023 was attributed to the appreciation of the exchange rate on both the
parallel and interbank markets due to tight liquidity in the market. The non-food
inflation stood at 2.98% in February 2024 and slightly increased to 3% in March
2024.
19
reserves was on the back of increases of ZW$570.05 billion and ZW$350.96
billion in foreign and local currency statutory reserves, respectively. Statutory
reserves, both in local and foreign currency, constituted about 98% of total reserve
money, as shown in Figure 3.
FCA - Statutory
Reserves
71.34%
20
to US$215.96 million as of 29 February 2024. The Bank will continue to monitor
changes in the deposit base and respond with policy adjustments accordingly.
30,000 1200
25,000 1000
ZW$ Billion
20,000 800
Percent
15,000 600
10,000 400
5,000 200
- 0
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3
3
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49. On an annual basis, broad money grew by 708.87% in December 2023, from
ZW$2.338 trillion in December 2022. The growth was largely driven by an
increase of ZW$12.824 trillion in foreign currency deposits. The growth in foreign
currency deposits was on the back of real expansion in foreign currency accounts
coupled with exchange rate depreciation.
1
Provisional
21
50. The annual broad money growth in local and foreign currency is shown in Table
7.
Table 7: Components of Money Supply Growth
LC component Annual FC Annual
(ZW$ billion) growth component growth
(ZW$ billion)
Dec 2022
888.83 249.76% 1449.40 555.14%
Mar 2023
1 122.25 278.67% 2 073.07 608.20%
Jun 2023
1 787.82 327.07% 12 487.66 1 681.21%
Sep 2023
2 688.52 317.89% 13 025.54 922.58%
Dec 2023
4 638.37 421.85% 14 276.21 884.97%
Jan 2024
4 967.84 445.44% 24 280.28 1 259.05%
Source: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, 2024
51. On the asset side, annual growth in M3 largely reflected nominal changes in credit
to the private sector and net claims on Government of ZW$9.948 trillion
(914.08%) and ZW$3.598 trillion (758.12%), respectively.
-200
22
Balance of Payments Developments
52. The Bank’s preliminary estimates point to the current account balance having
narrowed to a surplus of approximately US$125.6 million in 2023, compared to a
surplus of US$305.0 million recorded in 2022. This followed a widening of the
merchandise trade deficit, largely driven by relative growth in imports in the face
of moderating exports as most global commodity prices weakened. The current
account balance was further weighed down by services and primary income
accounts that also registered deficits. Nevertheless, remittances and other transfers
(secondary income flows) continued to demonstrate resilience.
23
Merchandise Exports
53. Merchandise exports are estimated to have decreased by 0.8%, from US$7.0
billion in 2022 to US$6.9 million in 2023, largely weighed down by subdued
mineral exports. The decline in mineral exports was, however, partially offset by
increases in agricultural and manufactured exports.
54. During the year under review, mineral exports, which constitute about 80% of the
country’s merchandise exports, declined by 7.0% to US$5.2 billion, from US$5.5
billion in 2022.
1000 10000
500 5000
0 0
03-Feb-17
03-Jun-17
29-Jan-18
29-May-18
26-Sep-18
24-Jan-19
24-May-19
21-Sep-19
19-Jan-20
18-May-20
15-Sep-20
13-Jan-21
13-May-21
10-Sep-21
08-Jan-22
08-May-22
05-Sep-22
03-Jan-23
03-May-23
31-Aug-23
01-Oct-17
29-Dec-23
Gold Exports
57. While gold exports benefitted from higher global prices amid safe-haven demand,
they were weighed down by the more significant volume decline caused by lower
production during 2023. Gold deliveries to Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) were 30
106.7 kg during 2023, 14.7% lower than the 35 280.1 kg delivered in 2022, as
shown in Figure 3. The decline in deliveries was due to reduced output occasioned
by power outages and attendant disruptions from heavy rains, which negatively
impacted on mining operations during the early months of the year.
58. In addition, the domestic gold pricing framework, affected by exchange rate
misalignments also contributed to the decline in deliveries to FGR from small-
scale miners. Gold exports are thus estimated to have declined by approximately
11%, from US$1 997.8 million in 2022 to US$1 784.2 million in 2023.
25
Figure 8: Gold Purchases (kgs) and Price (US$/Ounce)
4000 2500
2000
3000
US$/Ounce
1500
Kgs
2000
1000
1000
500
0 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Lithium Exports
59. The Zimbabwean lithium industry has witnessed significant capital investments
due to the global transition to clean energy. Various projects are underway in the
country, ranging from resource evaluation to commissioning stages. Notable
production has already commenced at Bikita Minerals (Sinomine), Prospect
Lithium Zimbabwe (formerly Acadia), Sabi Star (Maxi Mindi), Kuvimba
(Sandawana), and Zulu Lithium. As a result of these developments, lithium
exports surged by 854.7%, from US$70.6 million in 2022 to US$674.0 million in
2023.
Agriculture Exports
60. Agriculture exports grew by 24.9%, from US$1 067.4 million in 2022 to US$1
333.1 million in 2023. The positive trend was mainly driven by the exceptional
performance of tobacco, sugar, and crocodile hides. Tobacco exports increased by
27.8%, reaching U$1 183.8 million in the period under review, compared to
US$926.1 million in 2022. This followed a very good season during which the
26
country produced a record high 297 million kilograms in 2023, compared to 211
million kilograms produced in 2022.
Manufactured Exports
61. The year 2023 witnessed a notable increase of 19.1% in manufactured exports to
US$430.7 million, from US$361.8 million recorded in 2022. This was primarily
driven by the significant rise in tobacco cigarette exports, which saw a remarkable
surge of 64.1% from US$64.5 million in 2022 to US$105.9 million. Additionally,
the export of refined sugar posted a substantial growth of 46.2% to US$28.3
million in 2023, from US$19.4 million in 2022.
62. The growth of sugar and cigarette exports was predominantly fuelled by improved
access to foreign markets and the efforts of industry players in the respective
sectors towards developing external markets. However, the competitiveness of
manufactured exports continued to be hampered by challenges such as high
production and market development costs and obsolete machinery and equipment.
Merchandise Imports
63. During 2023, merchandise imports are estimated to have risen by 4.9% to US$8
527.8 million, from US$8 131.8 million in 2022. Increased fuel, machinery,
electricity, and grain imports drove the growth. As the economy expands, its
capacity to accommodate imports that support the production process also grows.
27
Table 8: Foreign Payments by Category in US$ Millions (Jan –Dec 2023)
Category 2022 2023 % Contribution Contribution
Variance 2022 2023
Merchandise Imports 4,529 4,908 8% 53% 53%
(excl. energy)
- Raw Materials & 1,379 1,629 18% 16% 17%
Intermediate Goods
- Capital Goods 1,878 1,954 4% 22% 21%
- Consumption & 1,272 1,325 4% 15% 14%
Manufactured Goods
Energy (Fuel & 1,834 1,949 6% 21% 21%
Electricity)
- Fuel 1,675 1,774 6% 19% 19%
- Electricity 159 175 10% 2% 2%
Service Payments 888 960 8% 10% 10%
- Technical, Professional 465 455 -2% 5% 5%
& consultancy
- Software 108 137 27% 1% 1%
- Other (tourism, edu, 315 368 17% 4% 4%
freight etc)
Income Payments 558 334 -40% 6% 4%
(Profits, Dividends)
- Dividends 428 169 -60% 5% 2%
- Interest Payments 16 39 146% 0.20% 0.40%
- Other (Salaries, Expats, 114 126 10% 1% 1%
Rental)
Capital Remittances 614 928 51% 7% 10%
(Outward)
- External Loan 485 766 58% 6% 8%
Repayments
- Disinvestments 44 86 94% 0.50% 0.90%
- Foreign Investment 84 76 -10% 0.98% 0.80%
28
Category 2022 2023 % Contribution Contribution
Variance 2022 2023
Other Payments 169 247 47% 2.00% 2.60%
- Card Payments 143 209 46% 2% 2.24%
- Refunds 26 38 48.2% 0.30% 0.41%
Total 8,591 9,325 8.5% 100% 100%
Source: RBZ, 2024
65. Food imports registered a 15.0% increase, from US$519.9 in 2022 to US$597.9
million in 2023, driven by growth in grain imports, notably, maize, rice, and wheat.
While the country’s wheat production has significantly gone up, the country
continues to import hard wheat for blending. Lower import prices for crude soya
oil, edible oils, and fertilisers, however, moderated the overall import bill.
Services Trade
66. Services exports increased by 0.75%, from US$453.3 million in 2022 to US$456.7
million in 2023 driven by the continued recovery in the tourism sector, following
the Covid-19 induced disruptions. On the other hand, services imports rose by
9.5%, from US$1 436.8 million in 2022 to US$1 573.5 million in 2023, largely on
account of growth in travel, transport, and other business services imports. Freight
services increased in line with growing merchandise imports.
29
68. International remittances received through the normal banking system on behalf
of International Organizations (NGOs) amounted to US$1,136 million
maintaining the same level as the previous year.
70. The All Share, Medium Cap and Small Cap indices closed the year at 210 833.92
points, 920 516.25 points and 5 483 703.77 points, compared to June 2023
positions of 171 408.90 points, 436 363.92 points and 1 911 327.14 points,
respectively. The Top 10 Index, however, declined from 93 034.57 points to 90
085.91 points.
71. The resource index also added 89.11% to close at 145 542.27 points during the
period under review. On a year-on-year basis, the All Share, Top 10, Medium Cap
and Small Cap indices gained 981.54%, 631.74%, 2 412.16% and 1 113.06%, from
19 493.85 points, 12 311.13 points, 36 642.44 points and 452 056.95 points
recorded in the comparable period last year, respectively. In the same vein, the
mining index also added 471.03%, from 25 487.77 points recorded in December
2022.
72. Figure 9 shows the developments of the ZSE All Share, Top 10 and Mining indices
for the period December 2022 to December 2023.
30
Figure 9: ZSE All Share, Top 10 and Mining Indices
605000
255,000
505000
205,000
405000
155,000
305000
205000 105,000
105000 55,000
5000 5,000
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28
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31
Market Capitalisation
73. As a result of improved trading activity, the market gained 20.20%, or ZW$2.825
trillion worth of capitalization to close at ZW$16.812 trillion, compared to
ZW$13.987 trillion recorded in June 2023. On a year-on-year basis, the ZSE
capitalization added 722.20%, from ZW$2.045 trillion recorded in December
2022.
74. Figure 10 shows the evolution of market capitalization for the period 31 December
2022 to 31 December 2023.
31
Figure 10: ZSE Market Capitalisation (ZW$ billion)
18,708
17,008
15,308
13,608
11,908
10,208
8,508
6,808
5,108
3,408
1,708
8
31-Dec-22
31-Jan-23
31-Mar-23
30-Apr-23
31-May-23
31-Jul-23
31-Aug-23
30-Nov-23
31-Dec-23
28-Feb-23
30-Jun-23
30-Sep-23
31-Oct-23
Source: Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, 2024
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-J
-A
-N
31
31
30
31
28
30
30
31
31
31
31
30
31
32
Market Capitalization
76. During the second half of 2023, market capitalisation declined by 6.02%, or
US$77.39 million to US$1.21 billion, compared to US$1.29 billion recorded in
the first half of 2023. On an annual basis, however, market capitalization added
172.13%, from US$0.44 billion recorded in the comparable period in 2022.
3
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
ar
un
ul
eb
ep
ec
ug
ov
ec
ay
an
pr
ct
-O
-M
-J
-A
-D
-D
-F
-S
-M
-J
-J
-A
-N
31
31
30
31
28
30
30
31
31
31
31
30
31
33
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
12-Oct
19-Oct
26-Oct
2-Nov
9-Nov
16-Nov
23-Nov
30-Nov
7-Dec
14-Dec
21-Dec
34
Figure 13: Exchange Rate Developments
28-Dec
Source: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, 2024
4-Jan
11-Jan
18-Jan
25-Jan
1-Feb
8-Feb
15-Feb
22-Feb
29-Feb
7-Mar
14-Mar
21-Mar
28-Mar
SECTION FOUR
36
Table 11: Banking Sector Capitalisation Levels by Institution
Capital
Institution Tier 1 Ratio
Adequacy Ratio
Commercial Banks
AFC Commercial Bank 31.22% 29.00%
BancABC 33.32% 24.37%
First Capital Bank 33.35% 23.67%
CBZ Bank 23.13% 15.26%
Ecobank 39.24% 33.66%
FBC Bank 16.86% 13.49%
Nedbank 28.80% 23.60%
Metbank 69.13% 69.13%
NMB Bank 29.29% 28.00%
Stanbic Bank 25.27% 21.71%
Standard Chartered Bank 27.94% 15.82%
Steward Bank 41.33% 31.50%
Time Bank 85.87% 57.25%
ZB Bank 21.87% 20.60%
Building Societies
CABS 37.49% 24.98%
FBC Building Society 31.94% 26.94%
National Building Society 14.32% 14.18%
ZB Building Society 56.68% 56.60%
Saving Banks
POSB 44.03% 27.39%
Source: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, 2024
82. Aggregate core capital increased from ZW$5.05 trillion as at 30 June 2023 to
ZW$6.31 trillion as at 31 December 2023 due to organic growth. Retained
earnings from some banking institutions were largely driven by revaluation gains
from investment properties and translation gains from foreign currency-
denominated assets.
83. Banking institutions are currently pursuing various measures to bolster their
capital levels as part of ongoing efforts to ensure that they have adequate economic
capital commensurate with their risk profiles and to ensure ongoing compliance
with minimum capital requirements.
84. External audits of banking institutions for the year ended 31 December 2023 are
currently underway. The Bank will leverage on the audit reports to conduct capital
37
verification examinations to confirm the banks’ declared capital positions as at 31
December 2023.
Loans, Advances,
Bankers
Acceptances and Securities and
Leases Investments
29.26% 14.04% Assets in
Repossessed Transit
Properties / Assets 0.11%
0.09% Balances with
Foreign Institutions
8.05%
Asset Quality
86. Banking sector asset quality remains satisfactory. As at 31 December 2023, the
aggregate non-performing loans to total loans ratio (NPL) of 2.09% was within the
internationally acceptable threshold of 5%. The ratio improved from 3.62% as at
30 June 2023 reflecting continued sound credit risk management practices and
strong internal controls within the banking sector. Figure 15 shows the trend in the
level of NPLs from December 2020 to December 2023.
38
Figure 15: Trend in Non- Performing Loans
6%
5%
4% 3.62%
3.30%
3%
2.34%
2.09%
2% 1.57%
1.42%
1.03% 0.94%
1% 0.55% 0.61%
0%
Dec-20 Mar-21 Dec-21 Jun-22 Sep-22 Dec-22 Mar-23 Jun-23 Sep-23 Dec-23
39
Figure 16: Sectoral Distribution of Loans as at 31 December 2023
Other, 6.89%
Commercial,
Manufacturing, 7.89%
12.57%
Mining,
11.32%
Productive, Agricultural,
Consumptive, 72.68% Dstribution,
20.43% 14.46%
11.32%
40
Figure 17: Banking Sector Income Mix as at 31 December 2023
Gains on Sale of Gains on
Other Assets Revaluation of
(Excluding Gains on Sale of Foreign Currency
Securities) Held-to-Maturity Assets
0.23% Securities 25.17%
0.49%
Gains on
Fees and Revaluation of
Commission Investment
19.58% Properties
22.39%
Foreign
Exchange
9.88% Other Non-
Interest Income
6.42%
Interest
Income on Interest Income
Investments on Balances with Interest Income from
and Banking Loans Advances and
Securities Institutions Leases
0.65% 12.49%
89. The return on assets and return on equity ratios were 23.97% and 68.99% as at 31
December 2023, compared to 17.43% and 54.33% as at 31 December 2022,
respectively shown in Figure 18.
40.00%
23.97%
30.00%
17.43%
20.00% 11.50%
10.00% 13.67%
0.00%
Dec-20 Dec-21 Dec-22 Dec-23
Return on Assets Return on Equity
30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30%
DEC-20 JUN-21 DEC-21 JUN-22 SEP-22 DEC-22 MAR-23 JUN-23 SEP-23 DEC-23
91. Total banking sector deposits continued on an upward trajectory from ZW$14.66
trillion reported as at 30 June 2023 to ZW$19.47 trillion as at 31 December 2023,
mainly driven by translation of foreign currency-denominated deposits due to
exchange rate movements. Foreign currency deposits accounted for 77.09% of
total deposits as at 31 December 2023. The trend of banking sector deposits over
the period 31 March 2022 to 31 December 2023 is shown in Figure 20.
42
Figure 20: Trend in Banking Sector Deposits
ZW$ Billions
19,469.49
16,075.83
14,659.97
30-JUN-
30-SEP-
31-DEC-
MAR-23
30-JUN-
30-SEP-
31-DEC-
31-
31-
22
23
22
23
22
23
Source: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, 2024
43
stakeholders in enhancing industry skills and capacity to manage climate-related
risks.
94. In December 2023, the Bank was accepted as a member of the Network for
Greening the Financial System (NGFS). The main objective of the NGFS is to
improve the global response required to meet the Paris Agreement's climate
change goals, as well as to improve the role of the financial system in risk
management and capital mobilization for green and low-carbon projects in the
context of ecologically sustainable development. It is envisaged that NGFS
membership will significantly positively impact the management of climate-
related risks in the country.
96. Going forward, the Bank has noted the need to customise some of the LCR
parameters, taking cognizance of the domestic operating environment. As
previously communicated, the objective of the Standard is to promote the short-
term resilience of the liquidity risk profile of banking institutions.
44
operating landscapes. The reinforcements place greater emphasis on governance,
risk management arrangements, and processes, paying due regard to processes of
the Board and Senior Management oversight including risk culture and risk
appetite, compliance, and strategic risk management. The guideline will be issued
by 30 April 2024.
Microfinance Outreach
100. The number of active clients accessing loans through microfinance institutions
increased by 12.21% from 298,023 as at 30 June 2023, up to 334,423 as at 31
December 2023. The industry also recorded an 8.88% increase in the number of
women accessing loans from 137,063 up to 149,235 as at 31 December 2023, and
the value of loans to female borrowers over the same period increased by 82.22%
from ZW$157.32 billion to ZW$286.67 billion as at 31 December 2023.
45
Microfinance Sector Capitalization
101. The microfinance sector registered a 32.77% increase in aggregate equity from
ZW$301.14 billion as at 30 June 2023 to ZW$399.83 billion as at 31 December
2023. The increase was attributable to organic growth, fresh capital injection by
some microfinance institutions’ shareholders and currency translation gains.
103. Four (4) out of seven (7) operational DTMFIs were non-compliant with the new
minimum capital requirement of ZW$ equivalent to US$5 million for deposit-
taking microfinance institutions. This was largely attributable to persistent losses
since inception by the respective DTMFIs, thereby depleting institutions’ capital.
The Bank continues to engage the institutions and shareholders of the non-
compliant DTMFIs as they implement various capital-raising initiatives.
Loan Portfolio
104. Total loans for the microfinance sector increased by 78.93% from ZW$418.37
billion as at 30 June 2023, to ZW$748.60 billion as at 31 December 2023. The
aggregate industry total loans of ZW$748.60 billion comprised ZW$342.57 billion
(54.97%) for consumptive loans and ZW$337.13 billion (45.03%) for productive
loans. The sector registered a deterioration in the loan portfolio quality as reflected
by the portfolio-at-risk (>30 days) ratio of 10.43% as at 31 December 2023, up
from 7.20%. This underscores the need to enhance credit risk management within
the microfinance sector.
46
Profitability
105. The microfinance sector registered significant progress with an aggregate net
profit of ZW$402.64 billion for the year ended 31 December 2023, from
ZW$12.10 billion recorded during the comparable period in 2022. The increase
was largely attributed to the revaluation of trading assets held in foreign currency.
Deposits Mobilisation
106. Confidence in the deposit-taking microfinance subsector continues on an upward
trend as reflected by a 104.72% increase in deposits over the review period from
ZW$53.35 billion as at 30 June 2023 to ZW$109.22 billion as at 31 December
2023.
108. To date, 14 out of 19 banking institutions are participating under the SSCI and are
at various stages of implementation while more institutions have expressed interest
in undergoing the certification program.
47
towards the country’s 2030 Vision of an “Upper Middle- Income Economy”,
‘leaving no one and no place behind’.
111. The Bank, in collaboration with other stakeholders, is conducting financial literacy
programs on various platforms including, schools, women groups, churches,
businesspeople forums, and communities in the rural areas. Further, the Bank has
also embarked on financial inclusion campaigns and community engagements
across the country’s provinces through various platforms including the National
Development Strategy 1 programmes spearheaded by the Ministry of Finance,
Economic Development and Investment Promotion, and sensitisation outreach
programs on consumer rights and digital financial services, with Postal
Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), Consumer
Council of Zimbabwe and Consumer Protection Commission of Zimbabwe.
112. In addition to financial literacy initiatives by the Bank, financial institutions were
urged to adopt the ‘finance plus’ approach to the provision of financial services
by combining financial services and products with non-financial services
incorporating financial literacy programs.
48
Financial Inclusion Indicators
113. Access to credit improved during the year ended 31 December 2023 as indicated
by the significant increase in the real value of loans to women, which registered a
90.50% increase from ZW$378.71 billion as at 30 September 2023, to ZW$721.43
billion as at 31 December 2023. The increase was partly attributed to the
operationalisation of the collateral registry system which facilitates the usage of
moveable assets particularly by women who previously lacked collateral to secure
funding from financial institutions.
114. As at 31 December 2023, loans to women accounted for 7.76% of total banking
sector loans, up from 4.48% in the previous quarter. In addition, real value of
loans to MSMEs and Youth increased from ZW$326.97 billion and ZW$278.49
billion as at 30 September 2023, to ZW$461.39 billion and ZW$292.85 billion as
at 31 December 2023, respectively.
115. The proportion of loans to MSMEs compared to total banking sector loans
increased from 3.87% to 4.96%, while the proportion of loans to Youth compared
to total banking sector loans marginally declined from 3.29% to 3.15% for the
same period.
116. The number of active bank accounts marginally declined from 8.02 million as at
30 September 2023, to 7.69 million as at 30 December 2023, whilst low cost
accounts increased from 3.5 million to 3.75 million during the same period. Table
12 below shows the trend in the movement of the financial inclusion indicators
during the review period.
49
Table 12: Financial Inclusion Indicators as at 31 December 2023
Indicator Dec 22 March 23 June 2023 Sept 23 Dec 23
117. The Bank will continue to take a collaborative approach to the implementation of
NFIS II with the view to empowering all Zimbabweans towards building resilient
50
and sustainable livelihoods through increased uptake and usage of appropriate,
affordable, sustainable and high quality formal financial services and products.
CREDIT INFRASTRUCTURE
119. Financial institutions can now readily access comprehensive credit information
from the databases of the Credit Registry and the credit bureaus as part of the credit
screening and risk management strategies. This includes measures to strongly
mitigate against the risk accumulating non-performing loans. As at 31 December
2023, the credit reporting institutions in the country held a combined total of 22.44
million searchable records. The cumulative records per institution are indicated in
Figure 21.
Figure 21: Cumulative Loan Records per Credit Reporting Institution (ZW$m)
17.51
18
Number of Loan Records (Millions)
16
14
12
10
8
6
2.56
2.01
4
0.36
2
0
FCB Credit Registry XDS Fincheck
51
120. Lending institutions are encouraged to search the different credit bureaus as they
hold different types of records which are important for lending decisions. The
distribution of enquiries across the credit reporting institutions is shown in Figure
22.
121. Statistics from the Credit Registry show an upward trend in the quarterly enquiries
as at 31 December 2023, having grown by 18.92% from 278,805 as at 31
December 2022 as shown in Figure 23.
52
Figure 23: Credit Registry Usage Status on Quarterly Basis
400,000
360,467
342,268
350,000 331,562
300,643
300,000 278,805
Number of Inquiries
250,000 219,032
200,000 172,895
150,000 123,248
100,000
50,000
0
Mar-22
Jun-22
Sep-22
Dec-22
Mar-23
Jun-23
Sep-23
Dec-23
Source: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, 2024
122. The distribution of loans to individual borrowers by age and gender in the Credit
Registry as at 31 December 2023 is indicated in Figure 24.
520,085
500,000
400,000
326,986
300,000 246,984 239,248
200,000 171,219
103,776
100,000 69,002 76,948 74,192
21,705 21,594
0
18-25 26-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+
53
Collateral Registry Update
123. The establishment of the Collateral Registry in November 2022 in terms of the
Moveable Property Interest Act [Chapter 14:35] marked a significant step in the
Bank’s efforts to enhance the credit infrastructure. The Collateral Registry serves
to facilitate commerce and industry by enabling individuals and businesses to
utilize their movable property as collateral to access credit. As at 31 December
2023, 57 institutional users were utilising the system including banks,
microfinance institutions, contract financiers, and law firms.
124. The Collateral Registry system recorded 1,204 active registered security interests
with a total loan amount of ZW$4.59 trillion as at 31 December 2023 as shown in
Figure 25.
ZW$3.00 trillion
600
ZW$2.00 trillion
500 ZW$1.60 trillion
ZW$1.50 trillion
400
312
300 ZW$1.00 trillion
200
ZW$0.50 trillion
100 1 ZW$3.78 billion
ZW$7.39 billion 8
0 ZW$0.00 trillion
BANKING MICROFINANCE LAW FIRMS CONTRACT
INSTITUTIONS INSTITUTIONS FINANCIERS
125. The number of security interest registrations has been on an upward trend since
inception, closing the year at 1204, as indicated in Figure 26.
54
Figure 26: Number of Security Interest Notices as at 31 December
1400
1200
1000
1204
800 1135
1186
600
1097
400 734
552
200 325
177 268
0 7 29 74
0
2
3
3
3
3
23
3
23
23
3
23
3
3
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
l-2
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ec
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ov
ay
ct
pr
ar
Ju
Ju
Fe
Se
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A
D
D
M
N
126. Movable assets accepted as collateral by lending institutions range from household
goods, private vehicles, trucks, agricultural equipment to shares as shown below.
600
436
500
394
400
300
204
200 150
100 77
55 52 45
18 12 6 3 2 2 1 1 1 1
0
eh s
A inis eem t
Ba at ty
re Tr s
Fi nt
ui nt
Sh F es
oc ct ece ds
s
N nt
aw rop e
ol e
t
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In un d G nt
ri qui us
oc ssi qu ck
Bs
er
A als
n
Li en
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r
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of al P vab
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ur
of /A me
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at Goo
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St cce g E esto
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ic
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e
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xt
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Pr old
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127. As at 31 December 2023, MFIs registered the highest number of security interest
searches as shown in Figure 28.
55
Figure 28: Searches by Client as at 31 December 2023
Building Society 3
Public Searches 83
56
Figure 29: Digital Payments Transaction Values and Volumes (Jan-Dec 2023)
45,000 80
40,000 70
35,000
Volumes in millions
60
Values in billions
30,000
50
25,000
40
20,000
30
15,000
10,000 20
5,000 10
0 0
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
ug
ct
ov
ec
n
p
ar
ay
l
n
pr
Ju
Ja
Fe
Se
Ju
O
M
D
M
N
Transaction Values in Billions (ZW$) [LHS]
Transaction Volumes in Millions [RHS]
*Digital Payments Include RTGS, Card, Mobile Money, Mobile Apps, & Online platforms
**December 2023 statistics are estimates.
129. In 2023, a total of 736.84 million transactions valued at ZW$255.13 trillion were
processed through the national payment system.
57
Interoperability
132. The interoperability transactions values processed for retail digital transactions
continued to trend upwards, reaching ZW$342.96 billion by end of December
2023, as shown in Figure 30.
400 3.5
350 3.0
300 2.5
250
2.0
Billions
200
Millions
1.5
150
100 1.0
50 0.5
0 0.0
31-Jan-23
22-Feb-23
16-Mar-23
29-Apr-23
21-May-23
4-Jul-23
26-Jul-23
17-Aug-23
8-Sep-23
30-Sep-23
13-Nov-23
5-Dec-23
7-Apr-23
12-Jun-23
22-Oct-23
58
Table 13: Payment Access Points and Devices as of December 2023
VOLUMES %
Jul-23 Aug-23 Sep-23 Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23** CHANGE
PAYMENTS SYSTEMS ACCESS POINTS
ATMs 415 404 403 412 412 412 -0.7%
POS 134,420 137,213 137,380 137,691 138,312 138,865 3.3%
MPOS 29,302 30,136 29,911 29,734 29,479 29,774 1.6%
PAYMENTS SYSTEMS ACCESS DEVICES
Debit Cards 6,443,812 5,824,038 5,400,225 5,431,127 5,526,738 5,609,639 -12.9%
Credit Cards 16,649 17,003 17,150 17,119 17,873 18,266 9.7%
Prepaid 140,684 141,223 213,983 164,184 165,247 165,743 17.8%
Cards
Mobile 8,305,879 8,209,582 8,146,645 8,120,539 8,912,045 9,313,087 12.1%
Banking
Subscribers
Internet 473,095 477,099 453,998 456,458 421,473 432,009 -8.7%
Banking
Subscribers
**December 2023 statistics are based on estimates.
59
Cyber Security and SWIFT Customer Security Programme Self-Assessment
135. The widespread use of digital financial services platforms has increased the risks
of cyber-attacks. Financial services providers are encouraged to put in place robust
cyber security systems as enshrined in the Risk-based Cyber Security Guide for
Payment Services (2020). Institutions should also be alert to new and evolving
cyber threats.
138. The Bank urges the remaining few banks and two mobile money providers using
non-EMV compliant cards to expeditiously work towards full compliance.
New Initiatives
140. In line with its mandate to provide a conducive environment for Fintech
developments, the Bank received forty-six (46) applications on product initiatives
from both financial institutions and prospective payment system providers. The
applications comprised of 17 product additives and enhancements, 21 enquiries, 4
were referred to other regulators, 3 were not approved while 1 was work in
progress.
60
SECTION FIVE
141. Government and the Bank have made significant strides in sustaining an optimal
currency mix in the multi-currency system. The exchange rate and inflation
volatilities experienced in the economy continue to threaten the prospects of the
local currency under the multi-currency system.
142. Given the above, the Bank is recalibrating its monetary policy framework to
address the current state of price and exchange rate instability in the economy.
This policy stance is informed by two strategic policy pillars of restoring price and
exchange rate stability, and re-monetising the local currency for it to serve its role
as a medium of exchange and a store of value. The policy also seeks to rebuild
market confidence and trust, as well as Bank policy credibility.
Currency and exchange rate instability has largely been driven by:
• High demand for foreign currency as a store of value.
• Reduced confidence due to continued currency volatility in recent months, and the
widening margin between the interbank and parallel market exchange rates.
• Reduced use of the local currency for domestic transactions.
• Lack of certainty and predictability on the exchange rate front.
In view of the above, the Reserve Bank will introduce a foreign exchange management
system that guarantees the successful restoration of currency and exchange rate stability.
• The banking industry is safe and sound, with sufficient buffers for capital and
liquidity, good asset quality, and steady profitability.
61
• Accordingly, the Reserve Bank's oversight and financial surveillance framework
will be reinforced to improve the current state of the banking sector and foster a
culture of discipline and compliance.
• The economy has, of late, been moving towards full dollarisation, as the US dollar
has continued to dominate the weaker ZW$, with over 80% of market transactions
now conducted in US dollars.
• Public outcry over excessive bank charges, problem of change, rejection of soiled
US$ notes, and inconvenience of small ZW$ denominations has rendered the ZW$
ineffective as a store of value and means of exchange.
• Increased demand for local currency will enhance its stability and role as a store of
value and medium of exchange.
62
• This Monetary Policy Statement has introduced new measures to increase demand
for the local currency.
NEW MONETARY POLICY MEASURES
144. Following the recalibration of the Bank’s policymaking framework, the New
Monetary Policy measures are intended to achieve the following objectives which
are consistent with regional and global best practices:
145. The new policy framework will be implemented sequentially to ensure lasting
stability, certainty, and predictability thereby achieving the desired impact on
financial, monetary, currency, and exchange rate stability.
147. The auction system has been replaced by a refined interbank foreign exchange
market under a willing-buyer-willing-seller (WBWS) trading arrangement.
Following this development, a transparent price discovery mechanism is now in
place in the interbank market. The Bank will continue to provide trading liquidity
to the market using the 25% surrender proceeds from exports.
64
153. With effect from 5 April 2024, banks shall convert the current Zimbabwe dollar
balances into the new currency which shall be called Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) to
foster simplicity, certainty, and predictability in monetary and financial affairs.
The new currency will co-circulate with other foreign currencies in the economy.
154. The swap rate will be guided by the closing interbank exchange rate and the price
of gold as at 5 April 2024. The swap rate shall be used to make legitimate
conversions of all ZW$ deposits in the banking sector; all ZW$ loans and advances
made by the sector; ZW$ treasury bills; all outstanding auction allotments; all
export surrender obligations; all prices of goods and services in ZW$; and any
other ZW$ denominated obligations.
155. On conversion of all current ZW$ balances, banks are directed to rename all the
current ZW$ accounts as ZiG accounts. Gold-backed Digital Token (GBDT)
accounts will no longer be called ZiG accounts but will be known as GBDT
accounts.
156. All ZW$ notes and coins held by account holders will be credited into their ZiG
accounts using the applicable conversion factor. The banks will continue to accept
these deposits for a period of 21 days after 5 April 2024.
157. The Reserve Bank has made special arrangements for those without bank accounts
to swap their ZW$ notes and coins at POSB and AFC Commercial Bank within
21 days after 5 April 2024.
158. In instances where the cash holding to be exchanged is above ZW$100,000, banks
shall apply the requisite know your customer (KYC) and Customer Due Diligence
(CDD) principles.
160. Accordingly, ZiG notes and coins shall be issued in denominations made up of
1ZiG, 2ZiG, 5ZiG, 10ZiG, 20Zig, 50ZiG, 100ZiG, and 200ZiG which will be
distributed through the usual normal banking channels and, will be fully covered
by the quantity and value of gold and foreign currency held as reserves. The
currency denominations are also informed by the intervening exchange rate of the
ZiG to the US$.
162. As of 5 April 2024, the Bank has reserve assets of USD 100 million in cash and
2,522 kgs of gold (US$185 million) to back the entire local currency component
of reserve money which currently stands at ZW$2.6 trillion requiring full
(100%) cover of gold and cash reserves amounting to US$90 million. The gold
and cash reserve holdings currently with the Bank represent more than 3 times
cover for the local currency being issued.
164. The intervening exchange rate shall be determined by the inflation differential
between ZiG and USD inflation rates and the movement in the price of the basket
66
of precious minerals held as reserves. The weights will be determined by the
composition of reserve assets.
165. To ensure the sustainability of the exchange rate system, the following measures
will be strictly implemented:
167. The Bank will use 50% of the foreign currency proceeds from surrender
requirements for strategic interventions in the foreign exchange interbank market.
The remaining foreign currency will be available to satisfy the Government's
foreign currency obligations in exchange for ZiG and to build foreign exchange
reserves for the Reserve Bank. Foreign currency retention thresholds remain
standardised at 75% across all sectors, except for small-scale gold producers.
67
169. The overnight accommodation interest rate has been set at 5% above the Bank
policy rate and the Bank deposit facility interest rate at 7.5% below the Bank
policy rate, thus giving the starting interest rate corridor of between 11% to 25%
per annum.
170. The Bank policy rate and the corresponding interest rate corridor will be reviewed
by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) from time to time in line with inflation
developments.
171. Savings and time deposits interest rates on ZiG are set at 9% and 7.5% below the
Bank deposit facility rate of 12.5% respectively, while interest rates on FCA
deposits remain unchanged at 1% and 2.5% for savings and time deposits,
respectively.
175. In this regard, the Bank is increasing the statutory reserve ratio for foreign
currency demand deposits from 15% to 20% effective 8 April 2024. The statutory
68
reserve requirements for foreign currency time and savings deposits shall,
however, remain at the current level of 5%.
178. The Bank shall continue to monitor the pricing of banking products and services,
as well as enforce the pricing framework agreed upon with the Bankers
Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ). It is envisaged that as banking institutions
embark on accelerated digital transformation, the institutions will achieve
operational efficiencies which will impact positively on the cost of some banking
services.
179. The following measures will be strictly implemented to support the new monetary
policy framework:
69
prepare a structured roadmap to gradually promote the increased use of the new
local currency as we move towards 2030.
181. In order to foster demand for the local currency, Government will make it
mandatory for companies to settle at least 50% of their tax obligations on Quarterly
Payments Dates (QPDs) in ZiG. The Bank will continue with its strict liquidity
management in order to mitigate against shocks that cause spikes in the exchange
rate.
182. Overall, the increased role of the local currency will support and sustain the current
macroeconomic stability and economic resilience despite the recurrence of global
and domestic shocks. The Bank working in collaboration with Government will
continue to provide forward guidance to the market in promoting the wide use of
ZiG.
184. This process will allow the beneficiaries to maintain the value of their proceeds
under the new framework.
70
186. The gold coins and GBDTs shall continue to be used as investment instruments
and to manage liquidity in the economy to ensure a stable exchange rate. In this
regard, the issuance of both higher and smaller denominations of gold coins will
continue as an open-market-operation investment instrument for value
preservation.
187. As already indicated above, the Gold-backed Digital Tokens (GBDT) will no
longer be called ZiG but named GBDT.
189. By April 8, 2024, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), who are essential to the
National Financial Inclusion Strategy, will also be expected to ensure that all of
their customers can effortlessly transition from ZW$ wallets to ZiG wallets.
191. Within seven days from 5 April 2024, all entities other than banks and MNOs are
expected to have completed the configuration of their systems to conduct business
in ZiG.
71
192. The stability of financial institutions is critical given the increased lending in
foreign currency in the economy to avoid yesteryear bank non-performing loans
challenges. In this regard, the Bank reiterates and emphasises the following:
196. As prescribed in the Third Schedule to the Banking Regulations S. I. 205 of 2000,
reviews would be done on a case-by-case basis, depending on a banking
institution’s specific requirements.
72
197. Climate Risk Management and sustainability issues have become critical for
value-driven financial institutions. In line with the requirements of Guideline
No.01-2023/BSD: Climate Risk Management, financial institutions are required
to submit by 30 April 2024, the board-approved Climate Risk Management
Strategies incorporating risk appetite, risk management frameworks including the
approach to the identification, measurement, and monitoring of climate-related
risks; as well as internal control and reporting arrangements.
204. Banking institutions and microfinance institutions will be required to submit a plan
by 30 June 2024 outlining the measures to be taken to facilitate the financial
inclusion of persons with disabilities.
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SECTION SIX
INFLATION OUTLOOK
208. In the near term, reflecting the current inflationary pressures, inflation is expected
to be elevated in the first quarter and dissipate in the medium term in line with
stability in ZiG. As such, despite an expected bump in inflation in the near term,
annual inflation is expected to close the year below 5%. Figure 31 shows the
anticipated inflation profile of a central and upper forecast.
Figure 31: Domestic USD Inflation Trend 2023 and Outlook in ZiG for 2024
8.00%
6.00%
4.00%
2.00%
0.00%
-2.00%
-4.00%
-6.00%
M 4
A 4
Fe 4
N 3
N 4
A 3
A 4
4
Se 3
D 3
Se 4
D 4
23
4
24
23
M 4
24
-2
-2
-2
-2
2
2
l-2
-2
l-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
n-
n-
n-
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ct
ct
pr
ar
ec
ec
ug
ov
ug
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76
SECTION SEVEN
CONCLUSION
210. The new structured currency is anticipated to restore confidence in the local
currency and hence safeguard the dual currency system which, to date, has served
the country very well. This will go a long way in fostering simplicity, credibility,
certainty, and predictability in monetary and financial affairs.
211. The Reserve Bank also remains committed to pursuing a tight monetary policy to
guarantee price and exchange rate stability which are the key ingredients necessary
to sustain the desired optimal currency mix in the economy. The Reserve Bank’s
commitment to strict adherence to the full principles of ZiG, including full backing
of reserve money will sustain the currency stability.
212. Overall, the increased role of the local currency will support and sustain the current
macroeconomic stability and economic resilience despite the recurrence of global
and domestic shocks. The Reserve Bank working in collaboration with
Government will continue to promote increased use of the local currency by 2030.
213. I, therefore, call upon all stakeholders to continue observing good business ethics
and pricing models to complement the Reserve Bank’s efforts to sustain price and
financial system stability which is critical for sustained and inclusive economic
growth and development.
M
E
S E RV
BA
B WE
RE
@ReserveBankZim @ReserveBankZim
www.rbz.co.zw