Bulawayo’s business community has called for urgent reforms to improve the ease of doing business, warning that lengthy licensing delays, high compliance costs and deteriorating infrastructure are discouraging investment and forcing some companies to relocate to other cities.
The concerns emerged from an online survey and stakeholder consultations conducted by the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC), which found that more than 80 percent of respondents believed excessive regulation was negatively affecting investment, while over 70 percent reported waiting six months or longer for business licences.
The findings were presented during a ZNCC engagement with the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) on Tuesday, where business leaders discussed the Improving the Ease of Doing Business in Bulawayo report.
ZNCC Executive Board Member, Jermaine Chapfiwa, said businesses had identified reducing approval times, lowering compliance costs and digitising council services as their top priorities.
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“We ran an online survey where we received 30 detailed responses and also engaged stakeholders, with the main focus being the City Council and the ease of doing business,” said Chapfiwa.
“The business community told us more than 80 percent of respondents believe investment is negatively affected by regulation. More than 70 percent experienced business licensing delays, with some waiting six months or more for approvals, while the majority said compliance costs were simply too high.”
Chapfiwa said lengthy approval processes were causing investors to abandon projects or move them elsewhere.
“In one case highlighted in our findings, an applicant waited more than eight months for approval and eventually moved the investment to another city. Business licensing delays range from two weeks to more than three months. There is also duplication of documentation, while compliance costs have been rated very high and identified as a direct driver of informality, which goes against our National Development Strategy,” he said.
He said the cumulative effect had been significant.
“More than 80 percent of respondents indicated that investment has been suppressed through project delays, cancelled or reduced investments, and the relocation of capital to cities such as Harare and Gwanda. That is a total loss to Bulawayo.”
Chapfiwa also urged the council to consolidate its digital services into a single platform.
“Many of the council’s digital systems are fragmented, particularly those used for revenue collection. Why not establish a one-stop platform where businesses can settle all their bills?” he said.
The report also highlighted infrastructure challenges affecting businesses along Hampton Road, where indiscriminate parking by heavy trucks has disrupted commercial activity.
“The infrastructure failures on commercial corridors were specifically raised by a business owner operating along Hampton Road. Heavy trucks park indiscriminately, blocking customer access, while uncontrolled truck movements have damaged road surfaces. Several businesses are now facing imminent closure, yet they continue paying rates and taxes despite these conditions,” Chapfiwa said.
He called on the council to tighten enforcement against illegal heavy vehicle parking.
“Stakeholders are asking the council to enforce heavy vehicle parking restrictions and station enforcement officers along these corridors. This is essential if our city is to expand and grow.”
Chapfiwa also called for greater transparency in council billing, saying businesses and residents struggled to understand how charges were calculated.
“Only about 90 percent of the bill sample we analysed was related to actual water consumption. The rest consisted of levies, VAT, sewer charges and other costs. The effective cost per kilolitre came to US$5.86 because the bill is not unbundled. Consumers should be able to clearly see what they are paying for.”
He added that the survey found disparities in water tariffs between some Bulawayo suburbs and neighbourhoods in Harare.
“We noticed that residents in suburbs such as Burnside, Hillside and Sunninghill pay higher water rates than some areas in Harare. Greater disclosure would help residents understand how these tariffs are determined.”
Responding to the concerns, Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart acknowledged the challenges, saying the council was already addressing heavy vehicle parking on Hampton Road, although similar problems existed across the city.
“Engineer Dibidi is already seized with the parking restrictions on Hampton Road, but it is not the only road affected. We need to work with business to identify the city’s most critical industrial roads so that we can prioritise interventions,” said Coltart.
He encouraged the ZNCC to broaden its survey.
“I would encourage the ZNCC to identify the top 10 industrial roads hindering business so that we can agree on where limited resources should be directed first.”
Coltart said one of the council’s biggest challenges was the limited authority of municipal police.
“Our municipal police do not have the powers to arrest or issue fines for traffic violations. We have to rely on the Zimbabwe Republic Police, and fines are paid to the central government rather than council. This weakens our ability to enforce traffic regulations on roads such as Hampton Road and 6th Avenue.”
He said the Ministry of Local Government was considering proposals to strengthen municipal policing powers.
“Our Minister of Local Government has been sympathetic to this issue and has already taken proposals to Cabinet to give municipal police greater authority. That would significantly improve our ability to enforce the law and manage traffic across the city,” Coltart said.
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