ZIDA launches e-regulations portal
ROBIN PHIRI
The Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) has launched an e-regulations portal, a key step aimed at improving the ease of doing business by equipping investors with the tools and knowledge to efficiently navigate Zimbabwe’s regulatory environment.
The launch underscores the government’s renewed commitment to cultivating a transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly climate as it pushes forward with bold economic reforms to attract both local and foreign direct investment.
ZIDA Chief Executive Officer Tafadzwa Chinhamo said the portal is designed to simplify bureaucratic processes, instill investor confidence, and increase participation in Zimbabwe’s economic space.
“This launch reaffirms Zimbabwe’s commitment to fostering a transparent, efficient and investor-friendly environment,” Chinhamo said. “At ZIDA, we are immensely proud to have been entrusted with spearheading this transformative project, implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Trade and Development Agency, under the auspices of the Strengthening Investment and Facilitation Capabilities in Africa and Caribbean States Project.”
The portal offers a centralized digital resource that details step-by-step administrative procedures, relevant costs, timelines, and supporting documentation required for investment processes. It is intended to act as a foundation for further digital innovation, including the development of a fully integrated investor single-window platform.
“This ongoing work will ultimately culminate in the development of the online investor single window—an integrated digital platform designed to enable businesses to complete all essential registration and licensing procedures in a seamless, efficient, and transparent manner,” Chinhamo added. “This will enhance service delivery and support the government’s broader investment and facilitation agenda.”
The portal also provides a mechanism for investor feedback, reinforcing transparency, accountability, and responsiveness across government departments involved in investment regulation. It is expected to address long-standing investor grievances by improving the interface between the private sector and government agencies.
Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr. Martin Rushwaya, emphasized that the platform aligns with global investment standards, specifically within the framework of the World Trade Organization’s Investment Facilitation for Development Initiative.
“The portal is a strategic and transitional move in advancing the ease of doing business. It is part of a broader and comprehensive reform and modernization agenda being implemented by the government to restructure systems and processes, making them more responsive to the needs of both local and international businesses,” said Rushwaya.
He added that the reforms are set to drastically reduce the cost, time, and complexity of doing business in Zimbabwe, thereby enhancing the country’s global competitiveness.
“Without doubt, these reform measures will reduce the cost, time and procedures of doing business and improve Zimbabwe’s global competitiveness,” he said. “This reform thrust is focused on reshaping the public sector into a performance-driven, digitally competent, and business- and citizen-focused machinery.”
