ZIDA embarks on second phase of digital single window system
CLOUDINE MATOLA
The Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) has embarked on the second phase of developing a digital single window service system, a major reform initiative aimed at improving the ease of doing business and enhancing Zimbabwe’s attractiveness to investors, Business Times can report.
The latest development was confirmed by ZIDA chief executive officer Tafadzwa Chinamo, who said the agency has moved beyond process mapping and is now designing an integrated platform that will allow investors to submit information once and access multiple government services seamlessly.
He said the single window system is intended to significantly reduce bureaucracy, streamline approvals, and improve access to investment opportunities.
“… it’s a journey towards improving the ease of doing business,” Chinamo said.
“You know that the World Bank ranks countries according to how easy it is for business to operate in a particular country. And we have always said that investment is not just about opportunities, but access to those opportunities, I think, is also equally important.
“So, on this project we are embarking on phase two of it. Essentially what we did in the first phase is that we identified critical ministries, departments of government and agencies that interact with business at the entry level of any investor. We mapped those processes, so this step now is that we want to design what can turn into a single window where, regardless of what service or department that you want, you go to that single window. The information that you upload there can then be shared by all the other ministries, departments and agencies as they need it.”
As part of the rollout, Chinamo said ZIDA has also begun training key departments within the City of Harare, which he described as a major entry point for investors and a significant source of administrative bottlenecks.
“In addition, we have started training key departments of the City of Harare since that is where there is a lot of bureaucracy and is the starting point when one wants to invest in the country,” he said.
He added that the agency is targeting to have the system operational by the third quarter of this year.
“City of Harare will be trained over the next two days. These are the technical people, not only those you would interact with. Once those people get the tools and they understand the architecture, the others will then work with them individually.
“So, our target is that by the beginning of the third quarter this year, this window should be up and running. And there should be a decent number of licences and permits that you can get,” Chinamo said.
European Union Head of Cooperation Anna Cichocka welcomed the initiative, describing the digital single window system as a transformative tool that will enhance Zimbabwe’s investment climate.
“Well, I think it’s a tremendous effort to simplify all the administrative approaches that investors will have to qualify for in order to come into Zimbabwe and invest,” Cichocka said.
“So we can imagine that someone from outside of Zimbabwe, for example, comes in and wants to invest. He would then need to go around all the offices and try to understand what are the procedures for different sectors, which permits he needs to get and all this. So this portal is an incredible tool to simplify all this — this one-stop shop to get all the relevant information and then all the administrative approaches that he needs to do in one single place.
“So it’s a tremendous economy in time and resources for the investors to come, and also for the citizens, because as we were explained, there are a number of agencies already present on that platform. So it’s an incredible source of information to know what kind of regulations and rules are regulating different sectors and what they need to do, and what needs to be done to be able to run business in Zimbabwe.”
