‘Stabilise SMEs operating environment’

or subsidiaries of small companies with a single software solution to manage critical business processes.
“There is need for the Government to support such private sector initiatives, which help to enhance the operations of small enterprises,” he said.
“It is also critical that it continues to develop policies that make the business operating environment more conducive for small businesses.”
Mr Binha added that improving the operational environment of these enterprises would also significantly contribute to Zimbabwe’s ranking on the Ease of Doing Business Rankings.
The country still faces a number of economic challenges that have negatively impacted on its business environment.
For instance, according to the World Bank report on Doing Business Indicators for 2012 Zimbabwe was ranked 171 out of 183 countries, three places down from the 2011 ranking at 168.
Despite the launch of the one-stop-shop by the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) in 2010, Zimbabwe was ranked 144 in 2012 (142 in 2011) on the ease of starting a business.
Areas where Zimbabwe recorded improved                           ratings were in the payment of taxes and resolving at 127 down from 132 and 153 down from 166 respectively.
In 2011, Zimbabwe reduced the corporate income tax rate from 30 percent to 25 percent and simplified the payment of corporate income tax by allowing quarterly payment through commercial banks.
In the tax category, Zimbabwe fares better than the rest of the region in terms of the hours spent to comply with three major taxes (242 hours against sub-Saharan Africa at 318 hours per year) as well as on the total tax rate as a percentage of profit (35,6 percent compared to 57,1 percent for the sub-region).
Twenty Third Century Systems Zimbabwe, through its subsidiary, Devoted Business Solutions, will run the Cumulus platform.
The service will be hosted locally and accessed securely over the internet.
Said TTCS chief executive officer Mr Ellman Chanakira: “Traditionally, companies have had to invest huge amounts of money in hardware and software in order to provide its employees and business partners with ICT services.
“However, cloud computing presents an alternative as organisations do not have to invest and own all the ICT assets but can ‘rent’ or pay per use whatever resources they need for their operations.”
Cumulus will come with a host of other benefits among them the reduction of IT overheads.
This will be achieved through a decrease on the need for the hire of experienced IT staff to manage and support hardware and software as all back office functions will be handled transparently by the DBS support team at the data centre.
The new tailor-made service will streamline operations and increase business insight with a complete, integrated on-demand solution.