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The cost of car radio and television licences as well as a host of other fees charged by Government ministries and departments—is set to come down significantly within the next six months, following a Cabinet decision aimed at easing the cost of doing business and improving compliance.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Jenfan Muswere, announced the move in Parliament on Wednesday. He was responding to growing concerns from lawmakers over what many have called inflated fees, particularly the US$30 currently charged per term for a car radio licence. Some legislators have called for a reduction to between US$5 and US$15.
“On Tuesday, when we were in Cabinet, a decision was passed to review the prices of the levies and licences,” said Dr Muswere. “This was done looking at the categories, which amount to 12, which include the Broadcasting Services Act, which states that ZBC, working together with the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, has a responsibility to review the prices.”
The review is a direct response to the recent legal requirement that motorists must first purchase a car radio licence before being allowed to license their vehicles or buy insurance. This has led to a public outcry and calls for government to reconsider the pricing structure.
“The decision, which was taken on Tuesday, agreed that the reviews must be done through the directive which was passed by President Mnangagwa, that the prices must be reviewed, including the radio and television licences,” Dr Muswere told Parliament.
He further revealed that consultations are already underway with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), and that a new Statutory Instrument will soon be gazetted to set revised fees. This instrument is also expected to include exemptions for senior citizens.
“The Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion is now in the middle of looking into it. The decision was taken , but I believe that the decision is not going to take more than six months,” Muswere said.
“I expect this job of reviewing licences to be done immediately because the decision has already been made to make sure that all the pricing of licences has been reduced so that all businesses and all the beneficiaries of this country can be served and to also ensure that the ease of doing business can be done properly. All these reviews are not going to take more than six months.”
Business leaders have long expressed frustration at the growing number of permits, fees and levies issued by various arms of government, arguing that these extra costs erode competitiveness and discourage investment.
Twelve key sectors have been earmarked for review: health, tourism, agriculture, retail, transport, energy, manufacturing, telecommunications, broadcasting, financial services, construction and liquor.
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