Online Reporter
Mukudzei Chingwere-Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT on Tuesday moved decisively to cut red tape and lower the cost of doing business across several key sectors after Cabinet approved a wide-ranging review of licences, permits, levies and fees.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda gave details of new measures approved by Cabinet.
The approved reforms target duplicated and overlapping regulatory charges and seek to remove unnecessary levies and lower unjustifiably high fees in the financial services, manufacturing and health sectors.
“Cabinet approved the streamlining of duplicated and overlapping regulatory licences and permits, removed unnecessary levies and fees and lowered unjustifiably high levies and fees for the financial services sector,” said Dr Soda.
Monthly fees for accounts with balances of less than US$100, fees for transactions less than US$5, and cash deposit charges for both US$ and ZiG amounts have been removed.
Also, cash withdrawal fees are capped at two percent for both US$ and ZiG, and account opening charges have been removed.
Fees in the micro-finance institutions, insurance and pensions, mobile money and fintech capital markets have been reduced.
“The reviewed licences, permits and fees will be subjected to further refinements, and a comprehensive schedule will be duly gazetted,” said Minister Soda.
The Cabinet also approved reforms in the manufacturing sector covering 10 selected light and heavy manufacturing subsectors, including beverages, agro-processing, confectionery and food, textiles and clothing, timber, paint, pharmaceuticals, brick moulding, motor vehicle assembly and iron and steel manufacturing.
Key changes include the removal of the rural district councils’ timber movement permit and the consolidation of separate Environmental Management Agency (EMA) registration and monitoring licences into a single charge.
Cabinet also approved reductions in a range of fees, notably the general import licence fee and various charges linked to radiation and nuclear gauge licencing and registrations. “The reviewed licences, permits and fees will be subjected to further refinements, and a comprehensive schedule will be duly gazetted,” said Dr Soda.
In the health sector, Cabinet approved the removal of several initial registration and inspection fees and reductions for other regulatory charges.
Among the measures announced were the elimination of initial registration fees for wholesalers and initial registration of pharmaceutical premises and facilities, annual inspection fees for manufacturing wholesalers and pharmaceutical wholesalers.
“Initial licence registration fees for retail pharmacies, in all locations and annual renewal premises licence registration fees for retail pharmacies,” said Minister Soda.
“Reduction of application to change material particulars in the registration of a health institution, clinical trials of locally funded human medicine and veterinary medicine, hospital tier approval letters, certificate of status, certificate of good standing and registration of new premises.”
Dr Soda said the reviewed licences, permits and fees will be subjected to further refinements and a comprehensive schedule will be duly gazetted.
