VOA标准英语10月-Zimbabwe Cash Crisis Persists Despite Higher With

Days after Zimbabwe's central bank increased daily withdrawal¹ limits, the lines outside Zimbabwe's banks are still as long as ever. As Tendai Maphosa reports from Harare this is seriously affecting productivity for those with jobs.
　

A depositor scrutinises a new 20,000 dollar bill unveiled by Zimbabwe's central bank in a bid to ease widespread cash shortages in Harare, 30 Sep 2008

Starting this week, Zimbabweans can withdraw, on a daily basis, 20,000 Zimbabwean dollars (equal to about $5) from their bank accounts up from the previous daily limit of 1,000 Zimbabwean dollars. But this has failed to reduce the lines that sometimes spill off the sidewalk onto the streets as people wait to withdraw their money. Most of them still say it is not enough to meet their daily needs in the country with the world's highest inflation rate.

In addition to the frustration² this causes, president of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Lovemore Matombo tells VOA it is disrupting productivity in the work place.

"Some people have suggested that they can only work for eight hours for the whole week suggesting that four-fifths of production is lost per week," he said.

Matombo adds that this worsens the economic situation since the country's manufacturing sector³ has virtually collapsed⁴. Unemployment in Zimbabwe is estimated at more than 80 percent.

The ZCTU president says his organization had planned to demonstrate on October 1 against the then daily withdrawal limit of 1,000 Zimbabwean dollars. He says the increases only put the planned action on hold.

"What we are observing especially in Harare is characteristic of what's happening elsewhere around the country but we need to get information from our staff members from our trade unions representing the various provinces as to what is happening," said Matombo. "Once that is done we are going to march to the reserve bank in the case of Harare and to other reserve bank agencies in the case of the various provinces around the country."

Only weeks ago the central bank revalued the currency by loping off ten zeros. This was so people would not have to carry piles of money for the most basic transactions. But the zeros are coming back - on the day bank withdrawals⁵ were increased, Z$10,000 and Z$20,000 notes were introduced.

An economist⁶ speaking on condition of anonymity⁷ told VOA that the note shortage could be partly due to a shortage of printing paper. This is because a German firm, which used to supply Zimbabwe, stopped doing so citing the government's poor human rights record. He however added that an abundance of notes would simply drive Zimbabwe's hyperinflation. The solution, he says is to get the country's economy working again.

Critics of President Robert Mugabe blame his government's mismanagement for Zimbabwe's economic woes⁸. He in turn says Western imposed sanctions are to blame.

Meanwhile, strike action over pay by its pilots has forced the national airline, Air Zimbabwe, to ground its fleet for 48 hours starting Friday.

1 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

2 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

3 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

4 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

5 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句

6 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

7 anonymity   

n.the condition of being anonymous

参考例句：

• Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密，书中的人用的都是化名。
• Our company promises to preserve the anonymity of all its clients. 我们公司承诺不公开客户的姓名。

8 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。