By Derick Tsimba

The cash dealings that have become rampant in towns and cities have forced retailers and informal traders to have two-tier pricing system, Harare Post can report.

The informal sector and retail outlets are charging lower prices for cash payments in Zimbabwe dollars but adjust the prices with a mark-up 30% for electronic payments.

Some retailers are going to the extent of varying prices for payments in notes, coins, eco-cash and swipe. The proceeds from these unscrupulous business practices are being used to purchase foreign currency on the parallel market.

Scarcity of cash from banks is also contributing to the selling of money. Banks continue to fail to meet the financial obligations of their customers as most businesses prefer to trade their daily earnings on the black market.

Normally businesses should bank their daily earnings and should not be involved in illegal currency dealings as this is fuelling the black market illicit dealings.

Harare Post has learnt Government will soon move in to round up illegal cash dealers and penalise businesses that are fuelling the black market.  Recently hundreds of money changers were arrested as Government continues to make efforts to put the market system in order.