* Cbank says mine defying order to bank locally
* Zimplats has not refused to comply -spokeswoman
* Cbank move to hurt country’s mineral exports
By Nelson Banya
HARARE, May 25 (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s central bank has
ordered the country’s banks to stop processing mineral exports
by Impala Platinum’s local unit, which it accuses of
failing to comply with an order to bank locally, a state
newspaper said on Friday.
A spokeswoman for Zimplats, which is 87 percent
owned by the South African miner, told the state-controlled
Herald that the directive was unnecessary because the company
had complied with the instructions.
Central bank governor Gideon Gono said Zimplats had defied
his directive, issued in February, to transfer funds from its
offshore accounts to Zimbabwean banks, the newspaper reported.
“Due to failure by Zimplats to adhere with the provisions of
this directive … exchange control has taken corrective
measures to enforce compliance,” the central bank said in a
letter quoted by the newspaper.
“In this regard, authorised dealers (banks) are hereby
advised to stop processing and facilitating international or any
cross-border payments on behalf of Zimplats… and to stop
facilitating any exports … on behalf of Zimplats.”
Continued…
