PDA

View Full Version : Want a trillion?



jakncoke
07-19-2008, 01:49 PM
ARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's troubled central bank introduced new $100 billion banknotes Saturday in a desperate bid to ease the recurrent cash shortages plaguing the inflation-ravaged economy.
A shopper displays a five hundred million dollar Zimbabwaen bank note.

A shopper displays a five hundred million dollar Zimbabwaen bank note.
Click to view previous image
1 of 2
Click to view next image

The new bills officially come into circulation Monday, although they were already on the foreign currency dealers market Saturday.

As high as they are, though, the new bills still aren't enough to buy a loaf of bread. They can only buy four oranges.

The new note is equal to just one U.S. dollar

Once-prosperous Zimbabwe has seen an unprecedented economic meltdown since it gained independence in 1980, with the official inflation rate now at 2.2 million percent.

Gideon Gono, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, said the new notes are for "the convenience of the banking public and corporate sector" in light of price hikes.

"The RBZ has noted with concern the unjustifiable and incessant general increases in prices of goods and services. It is therefore appealing to the business community to follow ethical business practices as well as take an interest in the plight of the general public," Gono said in a statement dated Friday.
Don't Miss

* Zimbabwe: Inflation 'highest in the world'
* Bush calls for more pressure on Zimbabwe
* Battered Zimbabwe farmers seek justice
* Russia blasts U.S., UK over Zimbabwe vote

Zimbabwe started issuing large banknotes in December, starting with denominations of $250,000.

In January, the government issued bills in denominations of $1 million, $5 million, and $10 million -- and in May, it issued bills from $25 million and $50 million up to $25 billion and $50 billion.

The new bills are actually bearer checks and have an expiration date of December 31. Zimbabwe has not had formal currency since the introduction of bearer checks as a temporary measure in 2003.

"The RBZ is fighting a losing battle," said economist John Robertson in Harare. "As long as the inflation remains high, cash shortages will persist. There is need to address the inflation by increasing production so that too goods do not (cost) a lot of money."

for 10 usd you have 1 trillion in Zimbabwe money, freaking insane how high there inflation is.

LiNuX
07-19-2008, 02:16 PM
wow thats horrible...the money in the US is inflating as well but not that much, 1 trillion ..... i wouldn't mind getting their bearer checks for collection or something but im not sure if that'll help unless someone makes a huge donation

very sad for the country

Scott
07-19-2008, 03:12 PM
Yeah the money over there is crazy. I read about this and there was a picture of a man with a big bag of notes.

LiNuX
07-19-2008, 03:25 PM
this is just like Germany after World War I - people had to take barrel full of cash to get a loaf of bread - and when they got mugged, the robbers would take the barrel and leave the cash cuz the barrel was worth more

truly sad - that's one of the huge reasons germany retaliated in WWII and Hitler played on that. he was smart

Hopefully zimbabwe doesn't go crazy like that, but a problem that huge will drive any one crazy

Ghost
07-19-2008, 03:33 PM
They are just making the problem with money worse over there by just making more money they really dont care. it really is crazy over there in zimbabwe

rukisuto
07-19-2008, 04:50 PM
That's horrible.
It gets to be a burden having to have ALL that money and it not really being worth anything.

conman1000
07-20-2008, 09:36 PM
Dang, LiNuX is right this is turning into Germany after World War I.