Bulawayo, (New Ziana) – There is need for practical regulatory reforms to make it easier for businesses to invest, expand and create jobs in Bulawayo, city mayor, David Coltart, said on Wednesday.
He said this would help improve the city’s competitiveness, and attract more investors and businesses.
Coltart made the remarks in a speech delivered on his behalf by Councillor Aleck Ndhlovu at the National Competitiveness Commission 2026 Competitiveness Summit, held in Bulawayo.
The summit brought together stakeholders from government, business, local authorities, academia and other sectors to deliberate on competitiveness and the ease of doing business.
The mayor highlighted that the City of Bulawayo was reviewing its planning systems, licensing procedures, land administration, infrastructure provision and service delivery to identify barriers affecting investment and business growth.
“We have been continuously examining our own systems and asking ourselves whether we are making it easier or more difficult for businesses to operate, invest and grow,” Coltart observed.
He added that the local authority was streamlining business processes to make them more efficient, accessible online and easier for residents and stakeholders to use.
Coltart also highlighted the need for regulation to protect consumers and promote fair competition without becoming a barrier to enterprise growth and profitability.
“Where regulatory processes become unnecessarily complicated, costly or time-consuming, they can unintentionally discourage investment, increase the cost of doing business and limit the ability of enterprises to compete,” he stressed.
The mayor noted that competitiveness was not determined by the size of a country’s resources alone, but also by how efficiently those resources were converted into economic value, the ease with which businesses operated and the responsiveness of institutions.
“For Zimbabwe to compete successfully, we must create an environment in which businesses can innovate, invest, grow and create employment without being unnecessarily constrained by complex, fragmented or outdated regulatory processes,” he emphasised.
Coltart underscored that regulation remained necessary to protect consumers, safeguard the environment and ensure responsible business conduct, but argued that it had to be effective, proportionate, predictable and responsive.
The mayor highlighted Bulawayo’s industrial and commercial heritage, skilled workforce, established infrastructure and links to regional markets as strategic advantages for economic growth.
However, he stressed that the city could not rely on its history alone.
“We must create the conditions for new investment, new industries, innovation and entrepreneurship,” he noted.
Coltart called for wide stakeholder participation in reform discussions, saying local authorities, businesses, small and medium enterprises, investors, entrepreneurs, professional associations and workers all had a role in shaping inclusive and forward-looking regulations.
He implored delegates to ensure that resolutions from the two-day summit translated into reforms that businesses could experience, investors could trust and citizens could benefit from.
“May we continue working together to build an economy that is dynamic, resilient, inclusive and competitive,” the mayor implored.
New Ziana
