STAFF WRITER
LUPANE youths have lobbied government to peg passports in local currency arguing that the majority of citizens in the country do not have direct access to foreign currency.
The government, has since 2019 been battling to clear the passport backlog, in a development that seen the continued increase on passport fees a move widely seen as a way to enable the clearance of the logjam.
The ordinary passport is now pegged at US$60 from US$53 while the one issued after three days costs US$200 with the emergency one costing US$318 which should be paid in foreign currency.
In the latest petition, the Lupane Youth for Development Trust (LUYDT spokesperson Tawanda Mazango noted that the Registrar General Office is not accepting equivalent payment in local currency which disadvantages many locals who earn the Zimbabwean dollar.
“The Registrar General Office is refusing to accept equivalent payment in local currency in violation of the Bank Use Promotion Act. As youths we are against the pegging of passport fees in foreign currency only in a country where the unemployment rate is estimated to be over 80 percent of which we (youths) make the majority that.
“Most youths, vulnerable members of society and the majority of Zimbabweans can hardly manage to raise the US$60 required for an ordinary passport under the prevailing economic conditions being faced by the country, worse still most of the employed are paid their salaries in local currency,” said LUYDT in a petition endorsed by Greater Hwange Residents Trust, Wedza Residents Development Initiative Trust and Penhalonga Youth Development Trust.
The youths further notes that the continued delays in gazzeting a Zimbabwean dollar pegged passport prices was a clear violation of citizens’ rights to accessing education, employment and health care of their choice.
“In a country where the health delivery system is in dire strait with many seeking specialised treatment in foreign countries it is only prudent for Government to speed up the issuing of passport to save innocent lives,” he said.
Mazango argued that the informal sector is “now the biggest employer” and with most people relying on cross border trading, it will become difficult for them to cross borders for the purposes of importing goods for resale, upon the relaxation of Covid-19 regulations. They would struggle to raise the amounts required for one to obtain the travel document.”
Mazango said the emergency passport which by its nature should be issued within working 24 hours is taking over three days to be issued out further prejudicing the applicants.
