Tinaye Agere
Harmony Agere
GOVERNMENT has approved a major reduction in business licensing fees, including slashing the liquor licence application fee to US$20 across all sectors, as part of ongoing efforts to ease the cost of doing business and drive economic growth.
This will be a major relief for liquor wholesalers who are currently forking out US$1 080 for the licence.
The decision was announced in today’s post-Cabinet media briefing, where Cabinet considered and endorsed the review of licences, permits, levies and fees in the retail and wholesale sectors.
The review aligns with a July 2025 Cabinet decision that approved a raft of business reforms targeting 12 sectors of the economy.
The reforms aim to enhance competitiveness, streamline regulatory processes and boost investment.
Under the new framework, fragmented and overlapping licensing requirements will be consolidated into a single licence, while unnecessary levies and fees will be scrapped.
“The liquor licence application fee is to be reduced to US$20 across all sectors,” the post-Cabinet media statement reads.
“For example, this is a reduction from US$1 080 for the Wholesale Liquor licence application.”
Other key measures include:
- Total removal of the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) permit fee of US$200 for trade in veterinary products;
- Abolition of the Local Authority bakery licence fee previously pegged at US$703; and
- Capping of all Local Authority fees to ensure uniformity across the country.
Cabinet said the reviewed licences, permits and fees will undergo further refinements before being gazetted.
The reforms form part of Government’s broader agenda to reduce regulatory bottlenecks, attract investment and accelerate economic recovery.
Online Reporter