Bulawayo, (New Ziana) — The country should overhaul its regulatory, customs and trade-facilitation systems to ensure local firms can compete in integrated regional and global markets, a Cabinet Minister said on Thursday.
Industry and Commerce Minister, Nqobizitha Ndlovu said this at the National Competitiveness Commission’s (NCC) 2026 Competitiveness Summit in Bulawayo.
He said the country’s business environment determines whether it can meaningfully participate in regional and global value chains.
The summit brought together stakeholders from government, business, local authorities, academia and other sectors to deliberate on competitiveness and the ease of doing business.
“As markets become increasingly integrated, Zimbabwe must ensure that its regulatory standards, customs and trade facilitation systems enable our businesses to compete effectively and participate meaningfully in regional and global value chains,” Ndlovu highlighted.
He called for a decisive shift to smarter regulation that is proportionate, predictable, transparent, digitally enabled and aligned with the practical realities facing businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises.
Minister Ndlovu stressed that competitiveness should not come at the expense of sustainability, highlighting the need for environmental responsibility, climate resilience, energy efficiency and responsible use of resources.
The Summit, held under the theme “Ease of Doing Business for a Dynamic and Competitive Zimbabwean Economy,” comes as government pushes various pro-business reforms in pursuit of Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2.
Ndlovu indicated that his Ministry was advancing the regulatory reform agenda through the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy (ZNIDP) 2 for 2026-2030, the Local Content Strategy, Consumer Protection Policy and National Quality Policy.
“These frameworks recognise that industrialisation and competitiveness require an environment in which businesses can invest, innovate, access markets, adopt new technologies and compete on a fair and predictable basis,” he noted.
A major pillar of the reform drive, Ndlovu added, is the institutionalisation of Regulatory Impact Assessments across government.
He said the process would improve policy quality by requiring authorities to assess the economic and social implications of proposed regulations before implementation.
“Going forward, we expect this approach to strengthen evidence-based regulation, reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens and improve the overall business environment,” Ndlovu said.
He emphasised that government alone could not deliver a competitive economy, calling for stronger collaboration among the private sector, regulators, academia, financial institutions and development partners.
Ndlovu outlined that government’s role was to establish an enabling policy and regulatory environment, while business must respond through investment, innovation, higher productivity, technology uptake and compliance with global standards.
He commended the Commission for producing evidence-based analysis and recommendations on Zimbabwe’s domestic, regional and international competitiveness, saying its work was vital in identifying structural constraints and translating research into practical reforms.
Ndlovu urged delegates to shift attention from discussion to delivery, identifying regulatory obstacles that increase the cost of doing business and setting clear measures to remove them.
“The success of this summit should ultimately be measured not by the quality of discussions alone, but by the reforms that follow — reforms that make it easier to invest, trade, produce, innovate and create employment in Zimbabwe,” he highlighted.
New Ziana
