HARARE – Ministers have approved sweeping cuts to business licence, permit and levy fees in the retail and wholesale sectors as part of stated efforts to reduce the cost of doing business and boost competitiveness.
The changes, announced by Information Minister Jenfan Muswere after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, follow a July 2025 decision to implement business reforms across 12 key sectors of the economy.
Muswere said the reforms will streamline and consolidate fragmented licensing requirements into a single licence, eliminate duplication, remove unnecessary levies and lower high fees.
“The review process is aimed at reducing the cost of doing business, increasing competitiveness and enhancing the growth of the Zimbabwean economy,” he said.
Among the headline adjustments, the liquor licence application fee has been slashed to US$20 across all sectors, down from US$1,080 for a wholesale liquor licence.
The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) permit fee of US$200 for trade in veterinary products has been scrapped entirely.
The local authority bakery licence fee of US$703 has been abolished and all local authority fees will now be capped to ensure uniformity.
Cabinet also approved reviews of several cross-cutting fees that affect businesses beyond the retail and wholesale sectors.
These include the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) licence for groceries and provisions which has been reduced from US$120 to US$20.
The Health Report licence fee, previously pegged at US$661, will be cut by 50 percent.
The NSSA elevator registration fee will drop from US$200 to US$20.
Banks have been directed to reduce charges and transfer fees to encourage banking, Muswere said.
The revised fees will undergo further refinement before being formally gazetted, ministers said.
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