Industry And Commerce Ministry Enforces Compliance In Reserved Sectors
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce is conducting a national blitz on compliance with reserved sector regulations.
Certain sectors of the economy, such as pharmaceutical retailing and haulage and transport logistics, are reserved for local people.
However, nationals from countries like the DRC, Pakistan, and Nigeria dominate these sectors, often without the required operating licenses.
On Thursday, 23 January, the Ministry announced that the number of reserved sectors was increased from 12 to 17 through an amendment to the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act. It said:
The Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act was amended through Finance Act No. 2 of 2024. The amendment means an increase in the number of reserved sectors from 12 to 17.
The added sectors include pharmaceutical retailing, haulage and transport logistics, borehole drilling, customs and clearing and shipping and forwarding.
Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Raji Modi recently told Business Times that some retail outlets operated by foreign nationals in Zimbabwe violate the law. Said Modi:
We have a problem with foreign nationals from the region operating our local retail shops and it is not only them, there are the Chinese also who are in the retail sector because they are not supposed to be doing so, the retail sector is only reserved for Zimbabwean citizens.
Unfortunately, they are using our local Zimbabwean names or workers’ names to obtain licenses and they are doing it illegally.
Former ZANU PF Harare provincial political commissar who once served as Harare South MP Shadreck Mashayamombe claimed that at least 90% of tuckshops in Harare are owned by foreign nationals.
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