The development
he said, is designed to simplify regulatory processes for small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) and formal businesses that operate under one roof with
multiple lines — such as bakeries, butcheries, restaurants, takeaways, and food
factories.
Previously,
some businesses were paying as much as US$2 300 for a food factory licence
alone.
“As announced
on the 10th of September 2025, the Government of Zimbabwe is continuing with
Ease of Doing Business and Regulatory Fees Reforms for all sectors. To date,
Government has announced these reforms for the Livestock, Tourism and Transport
Sectors, and is now moving on to the Wholesale and Retail Sectors,” said Prof
Ncube in a statement on Friday.
He said the
reforms aim to remove duplication and streamline approvals, particularly within
the retail sector — one of Zimbabwe’s fastest-growing industries.
“The retail
sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in Zimbabwe, and to further
strengthen it, Government has converged to remove the fragmentation of
licences, consolidating several retail licences into one shop licence and
reducing the number of authorities involved in the clearance process to one,”
he said.
Under the new
system, local authorities will apply a sliding-scale licence fee structure
capped at US$500, allowing smaller businesses to pay less while promoting
formalisation and growth of SMEs.
Among the major
reforms bottle store licences are no longer required for bottle stores
operating within licensed retail shops.
Retail and
wholesale licences will now be combined into a single licence for shops
conducting both operations.
Factory and
retail licences have been merged for integrated businesses operating from the
same premises, reducing regulatory and compliance costs.
ZTA licence
requirements for supermarkets have been scrapped, now applying only to
tourist-designated businesses.
Prof Ncube
added that the reforms also extend to other sectors.
“Hotel, lodges
and other tourism business licence fees have been reviewed downwards by 50
percent under the review of the Tourism and Transport sectors and further
capped to a maximum of US$500 per business,” he said.
To further
reduce operational costs Prof Ncube said change of Property Use fees have been
capped at US$1 000, down from as high as US$3 500 previously charged by some
local authorities.
Effluent waste
management fees have been cut from US$575 to US$200 annually.
PRAZ licence
fees have been unified across categories into one licence costing between US$50
and US$120, allowing businesses to use one licence across all branches.
The Liquor
Licensing Board has harmonised all liquor licence permits, removing
distinctions between urban and rural jurisdictions.
The Local
Authority Financial Services Licence will now be issued by the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe (RBZ) as a single annual licence covering all business activities, for
a flat fee of US$20, down from as much as US$1 867.
Additionally,
the Permit to Sell Veterinary Products issued by the Medical Control Authority
of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has been abolished as it duplicated functions under the
Department of Veterinary Services.
Prof Ncube said
the comprehensive reforms are designed to stimulate enterprise growth, job
creation, and productivity across sectors.
“These measures
are meant to aid in the creation of a conducive economic environment where jobs
will be created, productivity improved across all sectors of the economy,
achieving high growth rates through improving the ease of doing business,” he
said.
He reaffirmed
Government’s commitment to transforming Zimbabwe into a competitive investment
destination.
“Government
remains committed to improving the business environment to encourage domestic
and foreign investment in which Zimbabwe can become an Upper Middle-Income
Society by 2030.” Sunday Mail
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