Source: Govt to cut more fees, licences –Newsday Zimbabwe
Government has committed to a comprehensive review of levies, fees, licences, and permits for 12 sectors of the economy as it moves to create a conducive environment for business.
The sectors include agriculture, retail, tourism, transport, energy, manufacturing, and financial services, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube said.
The move follows decades of complaints by the private sector as well as investors that business processes were too costly and cumbersome.
According to the Treasury, this framework catapults Zimbabwe to join a league of African countries implementing such comprehensive cross-sector regulatory reforms simultaneously, positioning the country as a leader in creating a conducive environment for business growth, job creation, productivity, and competitiveness.
The reforms have begun in the agriculture sector, which has been constrained by excessive regulations, high compliance costs, and duplication of responsibilities across institutions.
In an economic update presented during the just-ended Zanu PF’s National People’s conference, Ncube said other sector-specific interventions were recorded in the transport sector, where fees for vehicle-related licences and transit fuel costs have been drastically lowered or eliminated, improving logistics efficiency.
“In tourism, the government has been conducting a comprehensive review of levies, licenses, and fees within the tourism sector to reduce the financial burden on operators, enhance the competitiveness of tourism offerings,” he said.
Ncube said a 100-day accelerator model has been implemented to engage ministries, departments, and agencies collaboratively with private sector stakeholders to ensure consensus-driven reforms.
“Recommendations undergo Cabinet review before legislative or statutory instrument implementation,” Ncube said.
These reforms are expected to boost economic competitiveness, stimulate private investment, and support the attainment of the country’s Vision 2030 of becoming an upper-middle-income society.
“They are also aimed at removing structural bottlenecks and enhancing the ease of doing business environment, and reducing the cost of doing business.”
The implementation of these reforms is expected to stimulate economic growth by attracting fresh investment, lowering regulatory costs for businesses, and encouraging employment.
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