Story by Stanley James, Business Editor
ZIMBABWE has laid out the 2025 tax roadmap anchored on broadening the revenue collection base to sustain development projects across the country.
It emerged during the 2025 Annual Tax Conference that limited fiscal space due to global and local shocks, climate change and subdued development partner support has resulted in government focusing on domestic resource mobilisation.
While the business community is backing the 2025 tax measures, Treasury is upbeat that this year’s targets will be achieved riding on improved compliance and a favourable summer cropping season, including anticipated growth in productive sectors.
“This meeting was an eye opener in that, it gave us an insight on how our roadmap for this year is being perceived by the private sector. What makes it special is that it is being held when we have started implementing the agenda and there are positives as evidenced by the compliance rate since January.
“The government of Zimbabwe is of the view that the tax system should be modelled in a manner that fosters growth and development while boosting productivity, no wonder why in the budget there are tax raising measures as well as more incentives to provide relief and support to the productive sectors of the economy,” Director Revenue and Tax Policy in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Mrs Grace Muzondo said.
Tax experts contend industry and commerce should also play its part in terms of tax compliance to sustain operations and conform with the country’s tax legislation.
“While there might be concerns about the country’s taxation measures or policies, a platform like the one held today indicates commitment to foster workable measures in which industry and commerce can talk to the government and find each other on certain loopholes or burdens.
“That the 2025 National Budget has been operationalised means that the tax roadmap for this year is in motion, so industry and commerce need to comply. If there is any room for fine-tuning then this can only be done during the mid-term review of the budget,” Tax expert, Mr Simba Hamudi said.
Zimbabwe is targeting more revenue inflows for development projects as well as to sustain employment costs for the public sector.
Tax components that are expected to drive revenue collection measures include the Value Added Tax, Pay As You Earn, Custom Duty, Mining royalties and Corporate Tax, among others.
In the 2025 National Budget, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube hinted at measures to sustain growth.
The measures were also aimed at ensuring the economy achieves a growth rate of above six percent.
Tax experts are also calling on certainty policies to sustain growth and foster business stability.
