Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo
Herald Reporter
Government has approved the review of licences, permits, levies and fees in the tourism sector, as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) continue to act on President Mnangagwa’s directive of ensuring the ease of doing business.
The approval of reviews in the tourism sector comes after similar action was taken in the agriculture sector.
This comes after the President directed that the ease of doing business initiatives be implemented across 12 key sectors within six months, starting end of July.
The sectors are health, agriculture, retail, tourism, transport, energy, manufacturing, broadcasting, telecommunications, liquor, construction and financial services.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said the full list of reviewed fees and requirements would be published in due course.
“We have specific fees, licences and levies that have been dropped . . . most of them are cutting across by about half (50 percent). We have a number of fees that affect our industry that include the transport sector as well as licencing for ZBC (radio and TV) those will be announced . . . so yes, we have specific fees and they will be published in the near future,” she said.
Responding to questions posed at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the reviews would see substantive reductions of some fees and requirements by between 25 percent and 50 percent.
“In terms of how far we are willing to go, we have got reductions, some range from between 25 percent to 50 percent (and) some of them have been eliminated completely. So we have used a very fine tooth comb . . . and we are sure that this will go a long way in reducing the cost of business,” he said.
Prof Ncube said thorough research carried out before the approval of the reviews had revealed that some fees and requirements were hampering the growth of the tourism industry.
“The National Competitiveness Centre (NCC) has been able to do some very informative research which shows that these fees really have raised the cost of doing business.
“They render our industry uncompetitive regionally and also globally, so it is clear that any reduction that we embark on, a meaningful reduction, is going to improve our competitiveness,” he said.
In his post-Cabinet media address, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said a consultative approach had been adopted as Government walks the talk in ensuring the ease of doing business, across all sectors.
Prior to the review, accommodation, hospitality and catering; tour guide and operators; boating services and vehicle rental service value chains were operating under a choking regulatory environment.
“Cabinet considered and approved the review of licences, permits, levies and fees in the Tourism Sector in line with the Cabinet decision of July 29, 2025, which approved the review of licences, permits, levies and fees on business by Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“The review was undertaken to remove identified unjustifiable licences and permits, levies and fees, streamline duplicative and overlapping licences and permits, and reduce unsustainably high fees and levies,” he said.
Dr Muswere said the reviewed licences, permits, levies and fees would be subjected to further refinements.
“The review process is in line with the implementation of the ongoing case of ease-of-doing business reforms, which aims to reduce the cost of doing business, increasing competitiveness and enhancing growth in the Zimbabwean economy,” said the Minister of Information.
Online Reporter