Govt. Pledges To Slash Liquor Licence Application Fee

The government has approved a reduction in business licensing fees, including slashing the liquor licence application fee to just US$20 across all sectors, in a bid to ease the cost of doing business and boost economic growth.

The move is expected to be a major relief for liquor wholesalers, who currently pay up to US$1,080 for a wholesale liquor licence.

The decision was announced during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday.

According to the statement released after the briefing, the Cabinet considered and endorsed a review of licences, permits, levies, and fees in the retail and wholesale sectors.

The liquor licence application fee, for instance, will drop from US$1,080 for a wholesale licence to US$20 across all sectors.

Cabinet also said it will consolidate the numerous retail licences required to operate a retail outlet into a single licence. At present, a supermarket needs over 25 different permits to operate legally.

Other measures include the total removal of the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) permit fee of US$200 for trading in veterinary products, the abolition of the Local Authority bakery licence fee previously set at US$703, and the capping of all Local Authority fees to ensure uniformity across the country.

The government said the reviewed licences, permits, and fees will undergo further refinements before being officially gazetted.

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