Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the British consulate in Zimbabwe is taking to compile accurate inflation data on the price of goods in that country.

The Zimbabwean economy faces severe challenges and the economic situation remains fragile. Our Embassy in Harare monitors developments closely, encouraging the government of Zimbabwe to implement the Staff Monitored Programme announced by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 31 May and protect the poorest.

Following the re-introduction of the Zimbabwe dollar the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency suspended producing annual inflation figures until February 2020. However, they produce official monthly inflation data which can be used to estimate annual inflation. External partners, such as the IMF, also produce independent estimates of inflation.