Econet in hot soup over unscrupulous ecocash agents.

Local Telecommunications gint Econet has come under fire following exposure of its agents who are charging ridiculous percentages in exchange for the cash out system. The company has been given a 48 hour altimatum by the National business council of Zimbabwe to engage its agents and put an end to such activities.

Indeed ecocash agents have been charging as much as 60% for one to access cash. If someone needs 100 rtgs dollars, they would have to transfer 160 rtgs dollars to the agents. Such activities have seen people losing a lot of money as they require cash on a day to day basis.

In a letter addressed to Econet, the National business council of Zimbabwe reiterated that the agents have systematically eroded ecocash balances of suffering Zimbabweans to the extent that people are now literally working to enrich ecocash agents. Such unwarranted behaviour has been frowned upon.

The letter also addressed the issue of the president’s position regarding the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe. The letter was copied to the office of the president and cabinet, the reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the permanent secretary in the president’s office. Econet has since issued a public warning to its agents to refrain from such illicit activities.

Econet said that it does not on one such activities. Part of the public notice issued by Econet read,” Any agent charging above the authorized commission levels will be charged accordingly”. It also advised that it had suspended about 4000 agents so far. The cash crunch in the country has caused so much untold suffering as people have to fork out ridiculous amounts of money in order to get cash. Ecocash agents have been at the forefront in charging exhorbitant amounts for one to get cash.