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The main opposition party in the country MDC Alliance has condemned the latest increase in passport fees announced by government saying an increase with USD should match eroded salaries.
An increase of services to USD is unattainable to most ordinary Zimbabweans whose salaries have not being increased.
Government recently increased passport fees to USD as a means of clearing the current backlog of about 250 000 passports.
However, most salaries have not being pegged to USD , workers still earn in RTGS transfers.
In light of the increase MDC Alliance raised concern that the new fees are unaffordable for the common person whose wages are in Zimbabwe Dollars.
In a statement on Monday MDC Alliance said , “salaries have been eroded by inflation and contradictory, unsound monetary policies by the regime in Harare.”
“ The maladministration is compounded by the fact that most workers including teachers, doctors and other civil servants do not earn United States Dollars.”
Currently teachers have been demanding an increase of salaries to USD , while government has been reluctant to meet these demands.
MDC Alliance added that The prohibitive fees are an infringement of citizens’ right to freedom of movement enshrined in section 66(1)(c) of the Constitution which entitles every citizen the
right to a passport and other travel documents.
“ Additionally, the passport fees are grossly unreasonable in light of the fees
charged by other countries in the region for the same service. South Africa charges
R400 for an ordinary passport which is equivalent to $27US, while Zimbabwe
charges $60US for the same passport, more than double the price.”
“We call for the alignment of workers’ wages with the reality that basic state
services are now being charged in United States Dollars. Civil servants, teachers
and doctors must be paid a living wage to ensure that they can afford basic identity
9 and travel documents such as a passport.”, said MDC Allinace.
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