Newspaper cover prices in Zimbabwe increased at the beginning of July, from millions of Zimbabwean dollars to billions, The (Buea) Post reported Thursday.

The new cover price for The Herald in Zimbabwe has increased from 200 million Zimbabwean dollars to eight billion dollars. The Sunday Mail increased its cover price from 300 million dollars to 10 billion dollars.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's regime has reportedly been printing money at will, and a few months ago introduced bank notes in billions of Zimbabwean dollars, driving the currency into further worthlessness, according to The Post article, posted by AllAfrica.com.

Other cover prices that have skyrocketed include: the Chronicle, now eight billion dollars; Kwayedza, now four billion dollars; the Sunday News, now 10 billion; The Manica, now eight billion; Mhunywa, now four billion; New Farmer, now 10 billion; and The Southern Times, now four billion.

Magazine cover prices are also inflating; Trends Magazine, for example, now costs 10 billion Zimbabwean dollars, and Zimbabwe Travel is the most costly, at 15 billion dollars.

Cover prices in Cameroon are also up, from about 300 CFA francs (US$0.74) to about 400 CFA francs (US$1). Printing press operators and distributors have asked for the increase, as fuel price hikes have caused the costs of importing and transporting printing material and distributing the newspapers to also rise, The Post reported.