HERE is the simplified list of key highlights of the Zimbabwe 2019 Financial Budget announced Thursday afternoon by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube:

Some budget highlights:
✓ Private vehicles import duty to be paid in forex;

✓ Civil servants 13th cheque to be paid before year-end but based on basic salaries only;

✓ ‘Boarder Gezi’ 2,917 youths to be retired by year-end;

✓ 5% salary cut for government senior officers right up to Presidium;

✓ Biometric registrations for all civil servants from 1 Jan to flush out ghost workers;

✓ Resuscitation of ZISCO and CSC;

✓ Companies collecting VAT in forex to remit the same in forex;

✓ Increase of 7 cents excise duty on diesel and 6.5 cents on paraffin;

✓ Road fines for recurring errand drivers to be increased from about $30 to $700;

✓ Further exemptions to be announced regarding the 2% IMT;

✓ Directors and Shareholders to be jointly and severally liable for the taxbts of voluntarily wound up companies;

✓ Parastastal reforms – partial and full privatisation;

✓ No further acquisitions of NPLs by ZAMCO;

✓ Reduction of foreign missions/embassies;

✓ Multicurrency basket remains with USD as the reference currency.