By Dickson Bandera
Businesses across various sectors are set to benefit from sweeping reforms aimed at reducing the burden of excessive levies, licences, fees, and permits that have long hindered the ease of doing business in Zimbabwe.
While the country has opened up space for entrepreneurship through legal frameworks such as the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act, the proliferation of permits, taxes, and levies has become a thorn in the side of many operators, often resulting in widespread compliance challenges.
The reforms were announced during a Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, with Information Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere saying the review will specifically tackle economy-wide regulatory challenges, including the multiplicity, duplication, and fragmentation of regulatory charges.
Minister Muswere said the move follows President Mnangagwa’s directive at the beginning of the year to address the high levels of levies, licences, fees, and permits that continue to raise the cost of doing business in Zimbabwe.
A comprehensive study that followed found that companies often grapple with multiple fragmented licences, drawn-out procedures, and duplicated charges criplling businesses.
The reforms will target 12 critical sectors: Health, Agriculture, Retail, Tourism, Transport, Energy, Manufacturing, Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Liquor, Construction, and Financial Services.
To address this, Cabinet has directed the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to lead a sector-wide review.
“A Whole-of-Government approach will be adopted… The process will adopt a 100-day cycle-based Accelerator Model,” Dr Muswere said. “Once approved, the reviewed fees and levies would be implemented through amendments to respective legislation and Statutory Instruments.”
Business leaders have long argued that Zimbabwe’s high cost of compliance stifles new investment and burdens startups. The government says the upcoming reforms will streamline operations and unlock new opportunities.
“This reform process will significantly streamline and reduce the burden on the people, business, enhance national competitiveness, attract investment, promote economic growth, create employment, and catapult the country towards the attainment of Vision 2030,” said Dr Muswere.
