PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has promised policy clarity and consistency to build business confidence in the country and attract foreign direct investment. Addressing members of the private sector in Harare yesterday, Mnangagwa said the time for conferencing and meetings without tangible results was over and it was time to deliver.
BY FIDELITY MHLANGA
“My government will continue to ensure that there is policy clarity, certainty, cohesion consistency and will guard against policy overlap information asymmetry and policy reversals,” he said.
Policy incongruity has been a major stumbling block for attracting investment in the country, something that Mnangagwa has been trying to reverse through his Zimbabwe is open for business mantra.
He said the government was seized with the operationalisation of the one-stop shop centre to simplify procedures for attaining licences and permits for investments.
Mnangagwa ordered Industry, Commerce and Enterprises Development minister Mike Bimha to look into the pre-shipment inspection delays, saying he has been receiving complaints pertaining to delays caused by the Bureau Veritas’s consignment-based conformity assessment, which curtail the ease of doing business.
“While we applaud the existence of consignment-based conformity assessment through Bureau Veritas, the pre shipment inspection should be fast, efficient and convenient to resonate with our pursuit for ease of doing business in Zimbabwe. I receive complaints about the delays by this organisation called Bureau Veritas. I urge the minister of Industry, Bimha to revisit and see where they can improve,” he said.
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce president Divine Ndhlukula called for need to bring in more players to participate in pre-shipment inspection to avoid delays. Chamber of Mines president, Batirai Manhando bemoaned the country’s high tax regime, saying this affected growth of the sector.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
He also called for the finalisation of the Mines and Minerals Act.
Manhando said that investors were keen to see the 51:49 threshold dropped even lower in the platinum and diamond sector, as the current regime was unsustainable. He said the mining sector required electricity tariffs linked to commodity prices.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president, Sifelani Jabangwe said forex shortages were the biggest challenge affecting business advocating the liberalisation of trading of currency among businesses.
Bankers’ Association of Zimbabwe president, Charity Jinya said issues to deal with budget deficit needed to be expedited by reviewing the country’s public expenditure, highlighting the need to put timelines on when this can be achieved.
