WE HAVE DISMANTLED RED TAPE, SAYS ED

The ongoing Government regulatory reform thrust — a comprehensive review of fees, permits and licences — is strategically designed to dismantle bureaucratic red tape and create a seamless pathway for investment into Zimbabwe, President Mnangagwa has said.

He made the remarks yesterday while delivering the keynote address at Cut Rag Processors, where he commissioned a state-of-the-art tobacco processing plant valued at US$100 million.

“My Government continues to accelerate the Ease of Doing Business reforms, which target 12 sectors. To date, tremendous progress has been registered in sectors such as  agriculture, transport, tourism and most recently the wholesale and retail subsectors. Numerous licences, permits, levies and fees, as well as the multiple regulatory requirements, have been reviewed and streamlined. The  requisite Statutory Instruments and statutes are accordingly being amended,” said President Mnangagwa.

The President said his administration, through the ongoing regulatory reform agenda, was determined to ensure that no investment was hindered by bureaucratic red tape.

“We are entrenching a business operating environment that is consistently predictable and transparent, where enterprise and innovation are rewarded, and industry thrives.”

Part of the newly-established CRP Tobacco Processing Plant that was commissioned by President Mnangagwa in Harare yesterday

To that end, the President said a second Government economic blueprint, National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), will soon be unveiled.

“To bolster this thrust, the National Development Strategy 2, will soon be launched as yet another building block to our country’s continuing economic growth and transformation agenda. This will be augmented by the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy 2,  designed to accelerate industrialisation and modernisation, while also aiding the diversification of domestic production and productivity,” said President Mnangagwa.

“In this regard, my Government is advancing a comprehensive local content strategy that clearly articulates our commitment to accelerating localisation, value addition and the beneficiation of our products. These policy frameworks, among other critical enablers, should ensure that more of Zimbabwe’s wealth is created and retained within our borders.”

He said as the country prepares to transition towards the implementation of NDS2, appropriate enablers, including the rehabilitation and expansion of key projects in areas such as energy, water, transport and ICT infrastructure, remained Government priority areas.

“To this end, my Government, adopted the Zimbabwe National Artificial Intelligence Strategy to harness the benefits of emerging technologies. Digital infrastructure is, therefore, being expanded to support e-commerce, automation and smart manufacturing. Our holistic and integrated approach will ensure that Zimbabwe’s industrial base is anchored by robust and efficient infrastructure,” said President Mnangagwa.

“Equally important will be the harnessing of digital transformation to scale up industrial efficiency through the Internet of Things, intelligent manufacturing, big data  and augmented analytics.” Herald

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