HARARE — The Zimbabwean government announced on Wednesday that it has scrapped 291 licences, permits, levies and fees in a bid to reduce the cost of doing business.
The measures target charges imposed by multiple regulatory departments, which small and medium enterprises have long blamed for delaying formalisation and raising operating costs. The government says the changes are part of broader reforms meant to streamline compliance and encourage more businesses to register.
However, some analysts argue that the removal of such a large number of charges exposes the scale of regulatory overreach that has built up over the years. They point out that the same system that created and collected these fees is now positioning their elimination as reform.
Small-business owners frequently cite overlapping local authority permits, tax-related registrations and other levies as barriers that push many into the informal economy. Compliance costs can drain capital that would otherwise go to stock, wages or expansion, they say.
The result, according to critics, has been a cycle in which the state seeks formal businesses for tax revenue but makes formality expensive; businesses then stay informal or never start, and government complains about informality while adding more charges.
While welcoming the cut, some commentators have said the government should not be applauded for removing obstacles it created. They have called for a further review of remaining charges and for measurable improvements at service counters, not just in policy announcements.
