Zimbabwe miners welcome fee reforms

Mining stakeholders have welcomed Government's review of licences, permits, levies and fees in the mining sector, saying the reforms will reduce the cost of doing business, promote formalisation and attract new investment.

Cabinet recently approved sweeping changes to mining-related charges imposed by ministries, departments and agencies as part of broader business reforms aimed at improving Zimbabwe's operating environment.

The reforms follow a Cabinet resolution adopted on July 29, 2025, which endorsed business reforms across 12 sectors of the economy to reduce regulatory bottlenecks, improve competitiveness and enhance enterprise viability.

Under the new framework, overlapping mining licences and permits have been consolidated under a single regulatory authority, while more than 80 percent of existing mining sector fees deemed reasonable have been retained.

Government has also introduced a differentiated fee structure based on operators' capacity, with artisanal and small-scale miners now paying significantly lower charges than large-scale mining companies.

Among the changes introduced are the scrapping of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development's trading on a mining location fee, reductions in inspection fees for base mineral and precious metal claims, and lower charges for diamond cutting and polishing licences.

Registration fees for dealing in precious stones have also been reduced and will now be payable once every five years. In addition, rural district councils' land development levies will be standardised nationwide.

Authorities have also introduced new regulatory charges, including permits for gold jewellery operations and registration applications for approved lithium processing plants as oversight increases in emerging mineral value chains.

Mining stakeholders say the reforms are expected to reduce informality in the sector and encourage compliance, especially among small-scale and youth miners.

Young Miners Foundation chief executive Payne Farai Kupfuwa said the fee reductions would help miners regularise their operations and participate more formally in the economy.

"This downward review will create an opportunity for us as young and small-scale miners to regularise our mining operations by securing mining rights legally and meeting mining development obligations so that we operate formally and officially," he said.

Kupfuwa said formalisation would improve access to financing, insurance and strategic partnerships for smaller operators.

He added that reducing fees and simplifying procedures would shorten turnaround times for permits and attract more investment into the sector.

"These reviews create room for investment, especially in small-scale mining, because cutting processes and reducing fees will limit the lead time between application and issuance of the required certificates," he said.

Kupfuwa noted that high costs and multiple licensing requirements had previously made mining operations expensive and encouraged informal activities, mineral leakages and unsafe mining practices.

Zimbabwe Miners Federation chief executive officer Wellington Takavarasha also welcomed the reforms, particularly the standardisation of land development levies imposed by rural district councils.

"Government consulted widely, including the Chamber of Mines and miners' representatives, and we gave our views. We are happy, especially with the standardisation of rural district councils' land development levies," said Takavarasha.

"It is important that bureaucratic processes are cut down, because it becomes easier to improve our mining produce and promotes development of small to medium mining enterprises."

Stakeholders say the reforms are expected to improve investor confidence in Zimbabwe's mining industry by creating a more stable and predictable regulatory environment, particularly for artisanal and small-scale miners who contribute significantly to national gold production.