Reports doing rounds seem to suggest that the Registrar-General and the Zimbabwean government seem to be in the process of finalising a passport fee hike. This is something we have always called for given the current issues the department is facing when it comes to timely issuing of passports.

Currently, at the moment it costs just over $2 USD to apply for a passport. Passports being security documents with a lot of special features naturally cost way more than this to produce. In fact, during the USD/Multicurrency era, it cost $53 USD to apply for a normal passport.

The government has struggled to provide people with passports at these ridiculously low prices. Currently, according to the latest estimates, the passport backlog stands at 300 000 with people having to wait years just so they can get a passport. In comparison during the USD era, normal passports were processed in just 3 weeks!

The matter (of increasing fees) is now with Treasury. They have the final say on the adjustments after we have advised them.
The process is underway … If there is a change in fees or anything to do with policy that will be properly communicated.
Clemence Masango, Registar-General speaking to the Daily News, via Pindula News

The above statement would seem to suggest the process to hike fees is currently being pursued.