THE failure by companies to obtain historical records as part of the re-registration process contributed to the extension of the initial April 20 deadline by two years, NewsDay Business heard this week.
Last September, the government issued Statutory Instrument (SI) 108 of 2025, requiring companies to re-register by April 20, 2026, as part of the authorities’ push to formalise businesses and improve tax compliance.
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency’s preliminary Economic Census findings, there were just over 204 000 operational establishments in the country as of March 2025.
Of that total, 23,9%—about 49 000—are formal businesses, with roughly 15 000 of them being private limited companies, underscoring the scale of the ongoing re-registration exercise.
Through Statutory Instrument 76 of 2026, the government extended the re-registration deadline to April 20, 2028, two weeks ago.
“The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries engaged the Companies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe on challenges arising from the mandatory re-registration of companies under Statutory Instrument 108 of 2025,” CZI said in its first-quarter review.
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“The regulation requires all companies and Private Business Corporations registered before the introduction of the electronic registry system to re-register by April 20, 2026, with failure to comply resulting in automatic deregistration.”
However, CZI noted that engagements with members revealed several operational challenges.
“Businesses reported difficulties in accessing or retrieving historical records, particularly annual returns, many of which could not be located despite repeated follow-ups,” CZI said.
“This has forced some companies to begin time-consuming reconstruction processes to regularise their records. Capacity constraints among SMEs have also affected the ability to meet the requirements within the set timeframe.”
The difficulty in accessing historical records suggests that a substantial amount of potential tax revenue could be recovered once companies regularise their filings.
CZI said it had engaged the Companies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe to better understand the re-registration process and formally requested an extension of the deadline to allow businesses additional time to comply.
“The request highlighted that many of the delays are driven by administrative backlogs and system-related constraints rather than non-compliance by businesses,” CZI said.
“The engagement also informed the organisation of a dedicated platform to support members. Preparations began during the quarter for a webinar to guide businesses through the process, clarify requirements, and address key challenges being experienced.”
CZI said the initiative would support business continuity by ensuring compliant firms are not at risk of deregistration due to factors beyond their control, while also contributing to a smoother transition to the electronic registry system.
“The first quarter of 2026 reflects an operating environment shaped by policy adjustment, cost pressures and gradual stabilisation. Inflation has remained in single digits, creating improved planning conditions, while monetary tightening continues to influence access to credit and the cost of capital,” CZI said
However, the organisation noted that increases in fuel, fertiliser and other input costs continued to affect production and logistics across sectors.
“Policy engagements during the quarter are expected to impact business operations once adjustments to selected tax measures and regulatory costs are gazetted to ease aspects of compliance, while changes in customs processes have required businesses to adapt how they manage cash flow and transactions,” CZI said.