Internet services resume in Zim

HARARE -Internet services in Zimbabwe were restored after fixed telephone service provider TelOne paid its outstanding US$700 000 debt to Intelsat, a company spokesman said yesterday.

“We were bailed out by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe late Friday,” Phil Chingwaru, TelOne spokesman said. “We were given US$1 million although our bill was only US$700 000.”Intelsat, the international communication carrier, had cut the state-owned firm from the global gateway for debt arrears.Although TelOne has settled the Intelsat bill it is still saddled with other debts running into millions of dollars, Chingwaru said.He said to boost its foreign currency income, TelOne has diversified into horticulture, floriculture and tobacco and expects to earn US$12 million from exports.”We are also expecting another eight million euros from the sale of flowers,” he said.The firm is reeling under a foreign currency crunch and has asked the government to compel diplomatic missions and Internet service providers to pay their monthly subscriptions in foreign currency, Chingwaru said.”We have the Zimbabwe dollar component, but what we need is foreign currency,” he said.Nampa-AFP”We were given US$1 million although our bill was only US$700 000.”Intelsat, the international communication carrier, had cut the state-owned firm from the global gateway for debt arrears.Although TelOne has settled the Intelsat bill it is still saddled with other debts running into millions of dollars, Chingwaru said.He said to boost its foreign currency income, TelOne has diversified into horticulture, floriculture and tobacco and expects to earn US$12 million from exports.”We are also expecting another eight million euros from the sale of flowers,” he said.The firm is reeling under a foreign currency crunch and has asked the government to compel diplomatic missions and Internet service providers to pay their monthly subscriptions in foreign currency, Chingwaru said.”We have the Zimbabwe dollar component, but what we need is foreign currency,” he said.Nampa-AFP