Acting finance minister Patrick Chinamasa would present the budget on January 29.
The budget is traditionally presented in November but this had been put on hold in anticipation of the formation of a unity government involving the ruling ZANU PF and the two factions of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Prospects of the unity government have dimmed after Monday’s deadlocked meeting between President Robert Mugabe and the leader of the main MDC faction, Morgan Tsvangirai.
The political leaders failed to agree on an equitable sharing of cabinet positions between their parties in the proposed coalition government.
The Herald hinted that a deepening economic crisis could force Chinamasa to break with tradition and come up with a short-term budget, possibly covering three or six months.
The paper also hinted that the budget could be denominated in foreign currency in line with developments in all economic sectors where the more stable United States dollar and South African rand are the preferred medium for business transactions.
The central bank has since last September allowed some businesses to trade in foreign currency in a move meant to improve availability of goods and industry viability.
This has prompted calls by other businesses and trade unionists to call for the full dollarisation of the economy, including the payment of salaries in hard currency.
Post published in: Economy