Opinion: Zimbabwe’s Import System Must Protect, Not Punish, Small Businesses
Opinion: Zimbabwe’s Import System Must Protect, Not Punish, Small Businesses
Zimbabwe’s small business community is resilient. Despite currency instability, high operating costs and global competition, thousands of entrepreneurs continue to import goods — especially from Asia — to supply local markets and create employment.
But for many, the biggest challenge is no longer sourcing products. It is surviving the import process itself.
At key entry points such as Mutare (Forbes) Border Post and Beitbridge Border Post, importers follow the law. Goods are declared, documentation is processed, and duties are assessed and paid to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA). Clearing agents complete the paperwork, and consignments are released for delivery to Harare and other destinations.
That should be the end of the story.
Too often, it is not.
The Cost of Uncertainty
Many importers report that trucks are stopped again along the highway after official clearance. Containers are reopened. Goods are physically inspected a second time. In some cases, additional duty “top-ups” are imposed.
For large corporations, such disruptions are inconvenient. For small and medium enterprises (SMEs), they can be fatal.
An SME operates on thin margins. A surprise duty adjustment, delivery delay or transport hold-up can wipe out projected profits entirely. Rent must still be paid. Employees still expect wages. Customers are waiting for stock.
When unpredictability becomes the norm, confidence collapses.
A System That Feels Duplicated
The concern raised by business owners is straightforward: if goods are assessed, valued and cleared at the border by the responsible authority, why is there a second layer of valuation and inspection along the route?
Post-clearance audits are a standard global practice. They are important for detecting fraud and protecting national revenue. But routine duplication of processes creates confusion and mistrust.
Zimbabwe does not lack laws. It lacks consistency in their application.
When enforcement appears fragmented, compliant businesses feel punished rather than protected.
The Economic Consequences
SMEs form the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy. They create jobs, supply essential goods and stimulate local commerce. When importers abandon trade due to frustration, the ripple effects are serious:
Reduced product availability
Higher consumer prices
Shrinking tax base
Loss of employment
Growth of informal and smuggling channels
Ironically, excessive friction in formal trade can push entrepreneurs into informal alternatives — the very outcome enforcement agencies seek to prevent.
What Businesses Are Asking For
Importers are not asking to evade duty. They are asking for clarity and finality.
They want:
One transparent valuation process at the port of entry.
Clear communication when discrepancies arise.
Coordination among enforcement units to prevent duplication.
A predictable system that allows them to plan and price their goods accurately.
Certainty is not a privilege. It is a foundation of economic growth.
A Call for Reform
Zimbabwe has the potential to position itself as a regional trade gateway. But trade thrives where systems are efficient, predictable and fair.
Strengthening digital clearance systems, improving inter-agency coordination and ensuring that once goods are cleared they are not routinely reprocessed would restore confidence. Clear policy guidelines on when and why post-clearance interventions occur would also help bridge the trust gap.
Protecting revenue collection and supporting business growth are not opposing goals. They are complementary.
If Zimbabwe is serious about industrial revival and SME empowerment, then the import system must enable entrepreneurs — not exhaust them.
Our small businesses do not fear compliance. They fear uncertainty.
And uncertainty is the most expensive tax of all.
Reported by P.Chari
CEO of Charius Freight Logistics
