Ayesha Nyanzunda
Harare — The Government has approved sweeping reductions in licences, permits, levies and fees within the retail and wholesale sectors as part of ongoing efforts to improve the ease of doing business and stimulate economic growth.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Jenfan Muswere, during a Post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare on Tuesday.
Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Jenfan Muswere
Dr. Muswere said the review was in line with the Cabinet decision of 29 July 2025, which endorsed the implementation of wide-ranging business reforms across twelve key sectors of the economy.
“The review process is aimed at reducing the cost of doing business, increasing competitiveness and enhancing the growth of the Zimbabwean economy,” he said.
Under the new measures, Government has approved the consolidation of fragmented licensing requirements into a single licence, streamlining of duplicative permits, and the removal or reduction of unnecessary levies and high fees.
Among the key adjustments, Cabinet approved:
• A reduction of the Liquor licence application fee to US$20 across all sectors, down from as high as US$1,080 for wholesale licences.
• The removal of the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) permit fee of US$200 for trade in veterinary products.
• The scrapping of the Local Authority bakery licence fee of US$703.
• The capping of fees across all Local Authorities to ensure uniformity.
The reforms also extend to cross-cutting licences and fees that impact other sectors, including those issued by Local Authorities, the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ), and the National Social Security Authority (NSSA).
Cabinet approved the following additional changes:
• The PRAZ regulatory licence fee on groceries and provisions reduced from US$120 to US$20.
• A 50% reduction in the Health Report licence fee previously pegged at US$661.
• The NSSA Elevator registration fee cut from US$200 to US$20.
• A directive to reduce bank charges and transfer fees to encourage formal banking and electronic transactions.
Dr. Muswere said the reviewed licences and fees would undergo further refinements before being gazetted in an official schedule.
The latest move forms part of the Government’s broader economic reform agenda aimed at reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, promoting investment, and supporting the growth of local enterprises.