BY STAFF REPORTER
The Cabinet has approved a review of levies, licences, fees, and permits of tourism sector , aimed at streamlining the regulatory environment and enhancing competitiveness.
The announcement was made during Tuesday’s post-Cabinet briefing, attended by Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Barbara Rwodzi.
The review, conducted through a consultative process, covered various subsectors, including accommodation, hospitality and catering, tour guides and operators, boating services, and vehicle rental services.
Previously, these subsectors were constrained by a complex regulatory environment, which the review aims to simplify by removing unjustifiable licences and permits, streamlining duplicative requirements, and reducing excessively high fees and levies.
Significantly, the review introduces a range of reductions, with some fees being cut by 25-50% and others scrapped off completely.
The reviewed instruments will undergo further refinement to ensure they fully support a competitive and thriving tourism industry.
This reform is part of the broader ease-of-doing-business agenda, designed to lower operational costs, enhance competitiveness, and drive sustainable growth in Zimbabwe’s economy.
The tourism sector is one of Zimbabwe’s key drivers of economic growth, and this development is expected to provide a significant boost to the industry.
Source: Zimbabwe Tourism Authority