OPC not happy with doing business reforms execution Dr Ray Ndhlukula
Dr Ray Ndhlukula

Dr Ray Ndhlukula

Tinashe Makichi Business Reporter
The Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has expressed displeasure at the rate at which regulatory authorities are implementing the required ease of doing business reforms despite the extension of the Rapid Results Initiative to the second 100 days.

This comes after three thematic working groups (Export Capacity, Export Regulations and Manufacturing Sector Thermatic Groups) reported a mixed set of results on the implementation of ease of doing business reforms.

The thematic working groups flagged lack of corporation from regulatory authorities and reluctance to doll out important information. For this reason, the OPC is looking at engaging regulatory authorities whose tardiness has proven to be a stumbling block to the entire reform process.

OPC Deputy Chief Secretary Dr Ray Ndhlukula told the Second 100 Day, End of Term Review and Manufacturing Sector Mid-Term Review Programme organised by ZimTrade yesterday that the overall picture shows that no principal goals under the first 100 days were achieved because the recommendations were not implemented.

He said it was agreed to extend the RRI period by a further 100 days to allow implementation of the recommended reforms. “Our progress in implementation is at a snail’s pace and only a handful of regulatory bodies have implemented some reforms, while some have yet to start.

“As a results leader, I must express disappointment at the reluctance and slow pace by relevant regulatory authorities in implementing the required reforms, despite the extension to the second 100 days,” said Dr Ndhlukula.

“We implore that the governance structure for RRI put in place a mechanism to continue the implementation of recommendations beyond this initiative. In similar initiatives, this has been done through the establishment of a Monitoring and Implementation Committee which reports to the OPC,” he said.

The ease of doing business reforms commenced in 2015, after President Robert Mugabe during his State of the Nation Address, gave a directive to improve the investment climate with focus to review the Companies Act and other related legislations.

When the Ease of Doing Export Business-RRI was launched in December, 2016 a structure was established and roles we defined to boost the country’s export capacity. Export Regulations Thermatic working group team leader Benson Ntini presenting overview of reforms to date said progress on legislative reforms has been slow. He said getting statutory instruments gazetted is now 75 percent complete while the proposal to amend the 22 statutory instruments was done and submitted to ministries and the Attorney General’s Office.

Mr Ntini said the implementation of reforms that do not require statutory amendments is 95 complete. A total of 10 reforms were implemented during the period while nine more reforms are work in progress and one recommendation was denied.

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