RG effects waiver on civil documents
GOVERNMENT has granted permission to the Registrar-General’s Office to waive all charges for the acquisition of identification cards and birth certificates.
This is meant to enable more people to get the documents ahead of next year’s general elections.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) commenced voter registration on Monday.
Registrar-General Mr Tobaiwa Mudede yesterday said every district in the country’s 10 provinces would from today issue such documents free of charge up to November 30.
“Authority has been granted for the waiver of fees by Treasury today Tuesday 19 September 2017. The waiver is in terms of Section 78(1) of the Public Finance Management Act (Chapter 22:09) and will cover the following; national registration identity documents (initial and replacement, birth certificates (initial and replacement), death certificates (initial and replacement) and citizenship by descent (person born in Zimbabwe one of whose parents is a citizen by birth),” he said.
“It is this authority that we have been waiting for which comes into effect on September 20, 2017 (today) at 7am and ending on November 30, 2017. The Registrar-General’s officers countrywide are accordingly notified.”
The waiver was in response to a plea by the public that the charges were exorbitant.
The fees charged by the Registrar-General’s Office ranged between $5 and $10 for replacing national identification cards.
Last week, Home Affairs Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo said although the public hailed the 90-day civil registration blitz by the RG’s office, they could not afford the charges.