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Presidents Robert Mugabe and Vladimir Putin of Russia in a meeting with potential investors in this file photo

Prosper Ndlovu Business Editor
THIRTEEN investment Bills will be tabled before Parliament in this third session as the government moves to create a friendly legal environment to boost business confidence and facilitate robust economic turnaround.

President Robert Mugabe presented the Bills while officially opening the third session of the Eighth Parliament of Zimbabwe in Harare on Tuesday.

The timely legal reforms are an answer to repeated industry concerns for a raft of measures aimed at stimulating local and foreign direct investment through creating a friendly business atmosphere.

“In this regard, the Companies Act and other pieces of legislation, which have hitherto hindered the ease of doing business, will be overhauled,” said President Mugabe.

These include the Zimbabwe Investment Authority Bill which seeks to convert the authority into a one stop shop investment centre, the State Procurement Amendment Bill, Special Economic Zones Bill, Mineral Exploration and Marketing Bill and a Bill on establishment of a Pan African Minerals University of Science and Technology, which will offer post graduate training programmes in mineral value addition and beneficiation.

The Land Commission Bill, Consumer Protection Bill, E-Transactions Bill, National Border Ports Authority Bill, Cooperatives Societies Act (Amendment) Bill, Local Authorities Bill and a National Code of Corporate Governance Bill, which will bolster the fight against corruption, will also be brought for consideration before Parliament.

Another Bill will be tabled to repeal the National Incomes and Pricing Commission Act, and to establish the National Competitiveness Commission, which will have the mandate to spearhead the improvement of the country’s business climate.

President Mugabe said consumer protection would be buttressed through the operationalisation of the Zimbabwe Standards Regulatory Authority to ensure compliance with quality, health safety and environmental standards for imports and exports.

He noted the critical role played by the small to medium enterprises and cooperatives sector in employment creation to thousands of people and pledged the government’s commitment to creating appropriate legislation to facilitate its sustained growth.

The President also said the government would simplify and rationalise the implementation of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act in order to unlock external investment.

He said this was already being done through empowerment of relevant ministries to negotiate investment thresholds, taking into account peculiarities in their respective sectors.

On concerns over provisions of the new Labour Act, President Mugabe said the government would allow further amendments to take on board concerns from social partners, which were not factored when Parliament fast tracked it to curb the spate of job losses following the July Supreme Court ruling.

The President also presented the Education Amendment Bill, Public Health Bill, National Security Council Amendment Bill, Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill and another Bill to combine War Veterans Act and the ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees Act into one Act, now incorporating war collaborators.

He challenged the legislature to execute their duties in a prudent manner that does not erode the trust reposed on them by the electorate.

“We indeed carry on our shoulders the hopes and aspirations of our people. Let’s channel our collective energies towards the development of our country, guided by our economic blue-print, the Zim-Asset,” said President Mugabe.