Zimbabwe has taken a major step in its efforts to recover from the economic crisis that has plagued the country in recent years. On Tuesday, the government began circulating a new currency called the ZiG, which is intended to replace the old currency that has been severely affected by inflation and has lost much of its value. The ZiG was first introduced in electronic form in early April, but now people can finally use banknotes and coins in their daily transactions.

This move has been long-awaited by Zimbabweans, who have had to rely on alternative currencies, such as the US dollar, to conduct their business. The new currency is expected to boost the country’s economy and help stabilize its financial system. However, there are concerns about the ZiG’s potential for inflation and its acceptance by the public, given the history of currency instability in Zimbabwe.

Nonetheless, the government is confident that the ZiG will be a success and has urged citizens to embrace the new currency. The banknotes and coins are available in denominations of 2, 5, 10, and 20, and the government plans to introduce higher denominations in the future.

Zimbabwe is struggling with a persistent economic crisis, which has led to a long-running currency crisis. In an attempt to tackle this issue, the government has proposed different solutions in the past, such as introducing gold coins to counter inflation and even experimenting with a digital currency. However, the latest effort involves replacing the Zimbabwe dollar.

Since it was launched electronically on April 5, the ZiG — short for Zimbabwe Gold and backed by the country’s gold reserves — appears to be heading down the same path of mistrust, with some government departments refusing to accept it.

The ZiG is the sixth currency Zimbabwe has used since the spectacular 2009 collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar amid hyperinflation of 5 billion percent, one of the world’s worst currency crashes to date. That set off a chaotic series of events: first the U.S. dollar was allowed as legal tender, then banned, then unbanned.

A new “bond note” became legal tender, the Zimbabwe dollar was reintroduced before the gold coins and digital currency were tried.

Despite the introduction of new ZiG banknotes, the mistrust for local currency remains and the US dollar is still the most trusted currency for Zimbabweans.