adminTHE Zimbabwe Investment Authority expects to finish digitalizing the One Stop Shop Investment Centre (OSSIC) at the end of this month, the chief executive Mr Richard Mbaiwa has said. Digitalization of the OSSIC will allow investors to apply for licences from ZIA and other Government departments online as well as fulfill other requirements such as applications for work permits on the same platform.
The move reduces travel expenses and investment approval waiting period.
Mr Mbaiwa told New Ziana that digitalization of the OSSIC was being done under the e-government concept.
“We realised that we cannot do our own thing and we are actually incorporating it under the e-government. Our website is being integrated in the e-government network,” he said.
“Work is now at an advanced stage and we will be launching the digitalized OSSIC by month end.”
Mr Mbaiwa said the e-government concept was targeted at a number of institutions and parastatals including ZIA.
“If one logs on to the e-government platform one will be able to locate our website and have access to all information be it forms and other things,” he said.
He said investors would be able to interact with ZIA online.
“Once this project is completed, investors will be able to submit project proposals online, apply for work permits among other things,” said Mr Mbaiwa, adding that more importantly it will enable the authority to interface with other Government departments and institutions making it a digital one stop shop.
Establishment of the One Stop Shop was aimed at reducing the time investors took to get licensed from around 40 days to five.
It has not been possible to fully operationalize the system as Government departments seconded officers to the OSS who did not have decision-making powers.
ZIA is an institution born out of the merger of the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) and the Zimbabwe Investment Centre (ZIC) in a move aimed at creating a one-stop-investment-shop for quicker and easier facilitation of investment. — New Ziana
Online Reporter