Second-hand clothes banned

Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa on Thursday announced several austerity measures, effective from Friday, meant to resuscitate the economy that include new levies and taxes on churches, imported groceries, fertiliser, and a ban on importation of secondhand clothes.

By Xolisani Ncube

Presenting his mid-term policy statement reviewing the 2015 National Budget in Parliament, Chinamasa also proposed plans to reduce government’s wage bill by 40% as Treasury struggles to pay civil servants owing to a reduced revenue base and uncontrolled expenditure.

The minister reviewed downwards the projected economic growth rate from 3,2% to 1,5%, a move he attributed to poor rainfall and poor performance of the manufacturing sector.

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