By Tatenda Mujeyi
To facilitate efficient business and cut on bureaucracy, the Office of the President and Cabinet in partnership with The World Bank launched 2020 Ease of Doing Business Reform program in Harare today.
The program is part of Government’s broad goals of facilitating the ‘open for business mantra’ and improving the way of doing business in Zimbabwe.
Government emphasised its commitment to the ease of doing business processes with a view of addressing the challenges Zimbabwe faces today.
“This meeting is therefore indicative of the importance and urgency attached to the reforms we are dealing with here today,” the Deputy Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya said.
The reform program is being done under partnership between the Government of Zimbabwe and the World bank with the rapid results initiative being the technical methodology.
“The office of the President and Cabinet has now organised this workshop to render technical assistance being guided by the Rapid Results Initiative Approach principles.” Dr Rushwaya said.
“The Rapid results initiative which is going to be employed in the reform is aimed at jumpstarting major organisational change efforts and enhancing implementation capacity, in this case the ease of doing business process.” Eric D Zinyengerere, World Bank Doing Business Consultant and RRI Coach also emphasised.
Government emphasised that the reforms are a key component of government’s policy framework, Vision 2030, of achieving upper middle class economic status by 2030.
“Colleagues let us remind ourselves that these reforms are a critical success factor for the accomplishment of Vision 2030. Their successful implementation will have a ripple effect that is set to bring direct benefits to the way we do business in Zimbabwe.” Dr Rushwaya said.
The ease of doing business reform will further facilitate in the improvement of the business environment and enhancing investor confidence.
“Creating a conducive business environment and investor friendly climate is what is required. Reforms that bring misery and distress to business under the guise of regulation are at a tangent with the mantra, ‘Zimbabwe is open for Business,” Dr Rushwaya also said.
The reforms will be conducted under the World Bank standards of doing business indicators in consideration of Zimbabwe specific circumstances.
“These reforms will cover the standard Doing Business Indicators as articulated by the World Bank, but should also specifically cover, Improving the Business Environment for Industry (Agriculture and Manufacturing Sectors), Improving ease of doing export business, Improving the ease of doing business for youths among other issues,” Dr Rushwaya said.
The next review date is scheduled for November with Permanent Secretaries expected to present their realisations with the business community endorsing the decisions.
“Our next review date has therefore been scheduled for 21 November 2019 where permanent Secretaries will be giving progress reports. We expect their reports to tally with what will be obtaining on the ground. The representatives of business will be there to endorse, or otherwise, the progress updates,” Dr Rushwaya added.
The reforms will be done in phases, with the first phase ending on the 21st of November and the second phase running from January to April 2020.