2006 YEAR-END MONETARY POLICY STATEMENT
PRESENTED BY DR GIDEON GONO
TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS…
ROADMAP TO OUR RAPID DISINFLATION PROGRAM;
MACRO-ECONOMIC STABILITY AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL ZIMBABWEANS
VISION 2008 REVIVED
31 JANUARY 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND.. 5
CURRENT CHALLENGES…... 9
THE REAL MILL-STONE ARROUND OUR ECONOMY: DISTORTIONS. 13
The Staggering Distortions. 13
MAIZE PRICING…... 13
FUEL ALLOCATIONS AND PRICING.. 15
UTILITY TARIFFS. 17
FERTILIZER PRICES…... 18
TELECOMS INTERNATIONAL CALL CHARGES. 21
LIMITED FOCUS ON CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT. 22
RAMPANT INDISCIPLINE AND DAYLIGHT SMUGGLING.. 23
FINES ON ECONOMIC CRIMES. 24
DETERIORATION OF THE JUDICIAL FRAMEWORK.. 25
HIGH FISCAL RECURRENT EXPENDITURE. 29
LEGISLATIVE GREY AREAS. 30
AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, THEREFORE, TRADITIONAL TOOLS ALONE WILL NOT DO 32
FINANCIAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENTS. 34
STATUS OF THE BANKING SECTOR.. 34
Banking Institutions…... 34
Microfinance/Moneylending Institutions…... 35
Capitalization…... 35
FINANCIAL INCLUSION: RURAL BANKING.. 36
AMENDMENTS TO BANKING LAWS. 37
MONETARY DEVELOPMENTS. 37
CURRENCY IN CIRCULATION DEVELOPMENTS. 40
INFLATION.. 41
ANNUAL INFLATION PROFILE (Jan.04-Dec ’06) 42
MONTH ON MONTH INFLATION PROFILE. 43
UNDERSTANDING THE MAJOR INFLATION DRIVERS. 44
MAJOR INFLATION SUB CATEGORIES. 45
MONETARY ANCHOR AND INFLATION TARGETS. 46
INTEREST RATE POLICY.. 47
PROPOSED ROADMAP TO OUR RECOVERY under the theme: 49
FREEING THE ECONOMY FROM DISTORTIONS INORDER TO PROSPER ZIMBABWE… 49
WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT PRICE DISTORTIONS…... 50
His Excellency The President, Cde. R. G. Mugabe. 50
The Minister of Finance, Dr. H. M. Murerwa. 52
The National Economic Development Priority Program (NEDPP). 53
The Private Sector.. 53
The IMF and the World Bank.. 54
THE RUSSIANS…... 55
THE CHURCHES…... 56
CONSUMERS. 56
SOCIAL CONTRACTS AND MACROECONOMIC STABILISATION.. 57
COUNTRY EXPERIENCES: FACTS AND LESSONS. 58
German.. 58
United States of America (USA) 59
Hungary.. 61
The Brazilian Experience. 61
Bolivia.. 62
Israel. 62
MAIN LESSONS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. 63
INEVITABLE CORRECTIONAL HARDSHIPS. 65
EXPECTED CONCEQUENTAL BENEFITS…... 66
AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND…... 67