According to the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) the family basket currently stands at US$501.36 which is beyond what many families can afford. All Civil Servants were until recently earning an allowance of US$100.00 per month and are now earning salaries which for many are still under US$170.00.

The U.S. Embassy has in the last two months received numerous enquiries from members of the Zimbabwean public on the validity of older series of U.S. notes as well as mutilated or worn U.S. notes. The Embassy does not issue new banknotes in exchange for old and/or mutilated currency.

Starting this month, February 2009, all Telone subscribers in Zimbabwe will be charged for calls and internet use in US dollars. Telone, which was recently awarded a FOLIWARS (Foreign Exchange Licensed Wholesale & Retail Shops) license by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe issued a press statement last week informing all its customers that their February bills and subsequent ones would be in forex.