Cabinet Approves US$20 Liquor Licence Fee — Business Reforms Await Gazetting
The Government of Zimbabwe has approved a sweeping reduction in business licensing fees, including slashing the liquor licence application fee to US$20 across all sectors.
The announcement was made during Tuesday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, where ministers endorsed a comprehensive overhaul of permits, levies, and fees in the retail and wholesale sectors.
The move is expected to ease the cost of doing business and stimulate economic growth, particularly for liquor wholesalers who have been paying up to US$1 080 for a single licence.
Under the new framework, fragmented and overlapping licensing requirements will be consolidated into a single licence, while unnecessary levies and fees will be eliminated.
“The liquor licence application fee is to be reduced to US$20 across all sectors. For example, this is a reduction from US$1 080 for the Wholesale Liquor licence application,” reads the post-Cabinet media statement.
The reforms align with a July 2025 Cabinet resolution that approved a raft of business-friendly measures targeting 12 sectors of the economy.
The goal is to streamline regulatory processes, enhance competitiveness, and attract investment.
Other key changes include the complete removal of the US$200 permit fee charged by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) for trade in veterinary products.
The Local Authority bakery licence fee,
previously pegged at US$703, has also been abolished.
Additionally, all Local Authority fees will now be capped to ensure uniformity across the country.
According to The Herald, the reviewed licences, permits, and fees will undergo further refinements before being gazetted.
Cabinet said the reforms are part of a broader agenda to eliminate regulatory bottlenecks and accelerate Zimbabwe’s economic recovery.
