HARARE, May 13 (NewsDay Live) – Zimbabwe’s decision to cut import licence fees from US$100 to US$50 has been welcomed by businesses, but analysts say the measure offers limited relief against a much larger and still costly import regime.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube announced this week that Cabinet had approved a package of regulatory reforms aimed at lowering the cost of doing business, including reduced import licence fees, lower factory approval charges and capped NSSA boiler registration costs.
But the fee reduction is not yet legally effective.
The existing US$100 import licence fee remains embedded in statutory instruments governing trade regulations, and no new gazetted amendment had been published by Wednesday.
The delay mirrors previous government announcements. In September 2025, authorities announced reductions in vehicle number plate fees from US$500 to US$50, but motorists continued paying the old rates for months until the changes were formally gazetted in January 2026.
“Citizens expect immediate implementation, but the necessary legal processes must be completed first,” Ncube acknowledged in March while addressing broader regulatory fee reforms.
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Even if implemented immediately, the savings may barely dent the wider costs faced by importers.
A mid-sized Zimbabwean manufacturer importing 12 consignments annually would save roughly US$600 a year under the revised fee structure. But a single mandatory Conformity Based Cargo Assessment (CBCA) certificate — required for regulated imports above US$1,000 — can cost at least US$350 per shipment before customs duties, VAT, clearing charges and environmental levies are applied.
Industry groups say these compliance costs remain the bigger burden.
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries estimates regulatory expenses account for nearly 18% of manufacturer overheads.
“The cost of doing business is killing industry,” CZI economic research officer Macdonald Mutengo said previously.
The Shipping and Forwarding Agents Association of Zimbabwe has also criticised the CBCA system, arguing that minimum inspection charges disproportionately affect smaller importers and encourage informal trade.
For small businesses importing low-value goods, analysts say the US$50 licence reduction is unlikely to materially change trading conditions while larger structural costs remain intact.
Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector remains heavily dependent on imported raw materials, machinery and intermediate goods, particularly in food processing and retail supply chains.
Business leaders say meaningful reform will require faster gazetting of policy changes, lower border compliance costs, streamlined customs procedures and improved domestic production capacity.
The government has framed the reforms under its Vision 2030 industrialisation agenda and broader efforts to support micro, small and medium enterprises, which account for roughly 60% of Zimbabwe’s GDP.
But until the legal changes are gazetted — and deeper import costs addressed — businesses say the country will remain one of the region’s more expensive trading environments.