ED to fast-track reforms
… says move will unlock Zimbabwe’s competitiveness

PHILLIMON MHLANGA AND LIVINGSTONE MARUFU IN VICTORIA FALLS
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has pledged to accelerate Zimbabwe’s ease of doing business reforms, vowing to dismantle bureaucratic red tape and reduce compliance costs as part of a broader effort to make local industries globally competitive and attract meaningful investment.
Delivering his remarks through Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube at the official opening of the CEO Africa Roundtable Annual Conference in Victoria Falls yesterday, the President said government was determined to complete all twelve targeted sectoral reforms by next year.
“Government continues to make reforms to improve the ease of doing business. We have done four sectors. We have taken a sector-based approach, reducing compliance and reducing costs to improve ease of doing business. We are moving fast and will be progressing until 12 sectors,” Mnangagwa said.
He added: “We need to make the measures to continue as we improve in doing business in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe continues to improve its performance, and to improve the ease of doing business, foster innovation, and modernize its infrastructure. Our efforts already lead to positive results.”
Mnangagwa’s remarks come amid rising concern in the private sector that regulatory bottlenecks and fragmented bureaucratic systems have driven up the cost of doing business, deterred foreign direct investment, and eroded Zimbabwe’s competitiveness in regional and global markets.
Under the previous licensing regime, companies were required to obtain up to 30 different licences before commencing operations—an administrative labyrinth that government concedes accounted for nearly 21% of total overhead costs for new firms.
The ongoing reforms—launched under the Ease of Doing Business Programme—are designed to streamline licensing and regulatory frameworks across critical sectors such as agriculture, mining, transport, energy, construction, and manufacturing.
Mnangagwa said the government’s sector-based model seeks to eliminate redundant permits, harmonize overlapping mandates, and rationalize fees—a process he described as central to “modernizing the investment ecosystem.”
Cabinet has already approved the rationalization of fees, licences, permits, and levies in the transport and agriculture sectors, two of the initial four sectors targeted for reform.
As part of these measures, the government has streamlined regulatory overlaps, rationalised licences and permits, eliminated unnecessary levies, and lowered unjustifiably high fees across transport subsectors including passenger services, haulage and cargo, taxis, and tobacco transportation.
Cross-cutting reforms are also being implemented within the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA), and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA).
In a major relief for the logistics industry, Cabinet directed that the US$23,000 duty on transit fuel payable to ZIMRA be immediately scrapped, with the relevant statutory instrument set to be repealed.
The reforms form part of the Second Republic’s broader push to position Zimbabwe as a competitive investment destination in southern Africa. Yet analysts caution that structural inefficiencies, policy inconsistency, and weak institutional accountability continue to hinder reform success.
Addressing the same conference, CEO Africa Roundtable Board Chairman Oswell Binha (pictured) said the organisation had evolved from a mere networking platform into a powerful policy advocacy engine, pushing for faster economic reforms and a stronger partnership between the public and private sectors.
“We have consistently engaged policymakers and regional bodies to influence reforms in trade facilitation, investment frameworks, and public-private partnerships,” Binha said.
“In Zimbabwe, ongoing reforms in public finance management, infrastructure modernization, and state-owned enterprise restructuring are acknowledgable, yet demand sustained discipline and citizen-centered governance to bear fruit.”
Binha was, however, candid in his assessment of governance bottlenecks and institutional inertia that continue to constrain Zimbabwe’s economic potential.
“We must also confront the gaps that persist — governance deficits, policy inconsistencies, and the slow pace of institutional reform that continue to constrain Africa’s vast potential. For how long are we going to remain in the potential phase? Effective leadership must now go beyond rhetoric to measurable impact, turning policy into prosperity and collaboration,” he said.
He called for a new social contract between government and business, built on trust, accountability, and predictable policy execution.
“We are the nation’s economic foot soldiers and ambassadors, sustaining livelihoods, creating jobs, and projecting the image of investors and partners. Yet, too often, business is treated with suspicion rather than as a partner or trusted ally in nation building,” he said.
“We respectfully submit to Your Excellency that genuine engagement predicated on predictable policy application and mutual respect between government and business are essential elements, if not all, to unlock full potential.”
He continued: “In this spirit, we call for a new social contract, one that restores faith in public institutions, rewards integrity and performance, sanctions mediocrity, and celebrates enterprise as a national virtue. The Roundtable stands ready to play its part in this collective renewal, confident that with decisive leadership and honest introspection, the bubble can rise to the greatness its people so richly deserve.”
Zimbabwe’s reform drive comes at a time of mounting fiscal and monetary challenges. The parallel market exchange premium remains wide, inflationary pressures persist, and the country continues to grapple with a heavy external debt burden—estimated at US$21 billion, according to Treasury figures.
Economists say the success of Mnangagwa’s reform agenda will depend on policy consistency, investor confidence, and the government’s ability to tackle structural distortions in public finance management, taxation, and the operations of state-owned enterprises.
The reform programme is a cornerstone of Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy within the next five years.
However, business leaders argue that the gap between policy ambition and implementation remains wide. Compliance costs are still high, access to foreign currency remains constrained, and bureaucratic inefficiencies continue to frustrate enterprise growth.
Binha also placed Zimbabwe’s reform trajectory within a continental context, warning that Africa as a whole stands “at a crossroads” between opportunity and vulnerability.
“Africa stands at a crossroad with challenges and opportunities navigating global uncertainties such as fragile currencies, volatile markets, geopolitical shifts, and climate shocks, while also harnessing its youthful population, vast resources, and technological progress,” Binha said.
He noted that Africa’s US$3.2 trillion regional market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could unlock growth if governments align policy with action and foster cross-border collaboration.
“The climate crisis, conflict, and economic fragility across the continent highlight the urgency of collective action, underscoring the importance of this roundtable in shaping a resilient and future-ready Africa,” he added.