Business Reporter
DAVIPEL Holdings chief executive officer, Mr Davison Norupiri, has endorsed the Government’s investment policies, praising fiscal incentives and the streamlined one-stop-shop investment approval system for special economic zones.
Speaking during the 19th COMESA Business Forum and Exhibition at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) this morning, Mr Norupiri highlighted how targeted Government intervention has transformed the viability of the manufacturing and agro-processing sectors.
“The lesson on that is actually very simple: Let’s incentivise the machine, let’s not incentivise the profit,” Mr Norupiri told delegates.
“The moment we do that, we are actually advocating and encouraging employment creation.”
The 19th COMESA Business Forum and Exhibition has brought together policymakers, business leaders, investors, development finance institutions, entrepreneurs, business associations and regional institutions for three days of high-level dialogue, business connections and investment engagement from October 19-21, 2026.
He explained that the Government’s decision to remove duty on machinery has significantly lowered the entry barrier for capital-intensive industries.
Reflecting on his own company’s experience within the special economic zones, he noted that the cost of acquiring equipment would have been prohibitive without these measures.
“Capex would have been 40 percent more expensive in terms of what we bought in machinery, but it had that reduction because of this incentive, which is the result of duty-free,” he said.
Mr Norupiri said incentives such as those on the machines can drive industrial growth.
Beyond the hardware incentives, Mr Norupiri also lauded the Government’s introduction of the “one-stop shop” investment approval process through the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA).
He described the initiative as a breakthrough for foreign and local investors, eliminating the bureaucratic hurdles previously associated with starting a business.
“You do not need to go to several ministries and spend several days… You only need to go to ZIDA, which is our one-stop shop,” he said.
“ZIDA is very supportive and it has got the power to do so because of the strength which it has been given by the Government.”
The COMESA Business Forum, expected to be officially opened by President Mnangagwa, is the second official build-up event leading to the main Summit of Heads of State and Government, which takes place on Thursday at the New Parliament Building.
