Online Reporter
Debra Matabvu
Senior Reporter
REVIEWS of a total of 291 licences, permits, levies and fees have been fully implemented across the economy as Government accelerates reforms to reduce the cost and complexity of doing business.
This comes as Cabinet has also approved a five-month review of e-hailing transport services.
The reforms follow a comprehensive review of licences, permits, levies and fees across 13 priority sectors, together with a mop-up between August last year and last month.
President Mnangagwa has consistently called for sustained efforts to reduce the cost of doing business, remove regulatory bottlenecks and create a more conducive environment for investment and economic growth.
The policy is intended to enhance economic competitiveness, improve public service delivery and create a more conducive business environment.
Sectors covered under the review include agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, transport, wholesale and retail, energy, broadcasting, telecommunications, construction, banking and financial services, health, and mining.
Speaking yesterday after the Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda said Cabinet had approved an implementation progress report presented by Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube.
“The monitoring and evaluation process has revealed that operationalisation of the approved licences, permits, levies and fees by Government ministries, departments and agencies is at various levels of implementation, with a total of 291 having been fully implemented to date,” said Dr Soda.
Notable progress has been recorded in the implementation of the approved fees, with the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency operationalising a range of fees through Statutory Instrument 17 of 2026.
The Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe implemented its reviewed fees through Statutory Instrument 9 of 2026, while the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works implemented 62 of its 201 approved fees through Statutory Instruments 41 and 107 of 2026.
These statutory instruments, among many other measures, provided for the removal of the livestock movement clearance fees, the fuel storage registration certificate, the cattle levy and the fish monger licences.
Reviewed bank charges are being implemented at across local banks, while the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s financial surveillance and exchange-control measures are being operationalised.
Minister Soda said reviewed regulatory registration fees administered by the Securities Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe and the Insurance and Pensions Commission of Zimbabwe were also being implemented.
The implementation of approved fees in areas such as investment promotion, procurement and local government was progressing well, while the rollout of reviewed banking charges was underway.
Cabinet noted that the country’s ease-of-doing-business reforms were receiving international recognition, contributing to the country’s removal from the World Bank’s list of fragile States.
Government expects the remaining approved licences, permits, levies and fees to be implemented within the next three months.
Cabinet has approved interim transitional measures for the e-hailing transport sector, including a five-month moratorium to allow for a comprehensive review of operations and regulations governing the industry.
The review will cover platforms such as Bolt, In-Drive, Tap and Go, GoFaster, KOSE and others, while facilitating the registration of operators with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
“Regarding the review of e-hailing transport services comprising platforms such as Bolt, In-Drive, Tap and Go, GoFaster, KOSE and others, Cabinet notes that they are providing convenient, affordable and more dignified services to the public as well as employment opportunities, especially for the youths.
“However, the sub-sector has faced regulatory challenges that are undermining the ease of doing business.
“Accordingly, and following consultations with players and regulatory authorities, Cabinet has approved interim transitional measures.”
These entailed, said the Minister, observance of a five-month moratorium to enable a thorough review of the e-hailing transport services pending, among other measures, the development of a self-regulating framework guiding drivers and ensuring passenger safety by the e-hailing providers, operators and drivers.
The framework would see the initiation of registering the e-hailing transport businesses with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority while already-registered operators applied for tax registration, said Minister Soda.
Cabinet directed the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to develop the regulations for the e-hailing transport sector through stakeholder consultations and benchmarking against international best practice.
The regulations were expected to provide a framework that promotes safe, secure, convenient and affordable transport services while supporting the continued growth of the sector and addressing existing regulatory gaps.
