Plans are underway to reduce the number of requirements needed for one to set up a business in Zambia.
The Chairperson of the Private Sector Development Programme said the high number of regulations and licenses needed have fueled corruption.
Eva Jhala said Zambia has 450 license and regulatory requirements and public institutions which issue them have become bureaucratic.
She said at a media breakfast hosted by the Lusaka Press club that plans are now underway to eliminate 200 of these requirements.
The Committee has also identified what it calls 20 nuisance licences that need to be eliminated.
Mrs. JHALA singled out councils as institutions that have become corrupt through charging trading licenses which she believes should be eliminated.
[ZNBC]
How does one just “eliminate” trading licenses ?! Cutting down on bureaucracy does not mean aboloshing the licence system. There is a reason why that system is in place – order. There would be total chaos without regulations as to how certain buisnesses are to operate.
Granted though, getting a mere business name from Companies Registry should be something that is straightforward and one doesn’t have to make several visits there just for a business ! Something that can be processed in a day.
It is frightening that we can have so many regulations. It is almost as if we don’t want anybody to set up a business. Over-regulation is the corrupt man’s charter. To obtain all the necessary papers you have to bribe a lot of people. This is welcome news. However, the proof is the eating. We will see. I have been trying to get title deeds for a piece of land that has been in our family for over 18 years. At the moment the I am having problems going past the corrupt chief, who is asking for a lot of money for him to write the letter of authorization. I have paid all statutory fees but that does not make any difference.
In the UK you can buy a pre-registered company over the phone using a credit card, in two minutes. Alternatively you can register one from scratch in less than two weeks. The biggest problem in Zambia is that you have to go to government offices in person to get anything. This means that, in order to get past the clerk, you have to pay bribes. If you could just pick up a form, fill it in, enclose a payment and drop it off, may be we would have less corruption.
These same 450 regulations are bias towards foreigners. Why shuold it be more difficult for Zambians to register businesses when foreigners have it easy?
Though scrapping off some of the unneccesary paper work is welcome development, corruption can only be lessened if officials at the registration offices are well remunarated.
I definitely do agree with the suggested move to abolish some of these non value adding stages towards full registration of an identified business entity.having so many levels alone is not evidence enough that quality is being assured.we need to define quality control steps that play a vital contribution in the whole business related establishment aspects and get them embeded in the system.it must be made clear that whenever you make it extremely difficult for people to access a specific service/product of critical regard to them,you are simply inviting the silent hands of corruption to filter in as they feel thats the only way to get what they want.reduction is really a welcome move.cheers.
#4 Get of your high horse. As a foreigner through the same stupid processes. The other day I was trying to get a driving licence and I was made to run around. I did not understand why a normal person would ask me about the 10 important driving rules in the Highway code. I told him that everything in the Highway code was important. Only 10 he insisted. No wonder there is chaos on Zambian roads!
Are we honking today at 5?
People please honk at 5
Is honking at 5 then one of the 10 important driving rules in the Highway code?
THE Energy Regulations Board (ERB) has with immediate effect announced an increment in fuel prices in the country.
ERB executive director Silvester Hibajane announced in a press release yesterday that the price of petrol has been increased by K1,103 per litre to K9,458 from the previous K8,355 while that of diesel has been increased from K7, 237 to K8,190, representing an increase of K953.
The price for kerosene has also been upped by K641 per litre to K5,745 from the previous K5,104.
Hibajane stated that the new pump prices for fuel in the country were based on the current cargo which docked in Dar-es-Salaam on August 3, 2008. (The Post Newspaper)
Things are getting bad in our country. How are motorists going to survive with such increments. These fuel hikes will inturn affect the consumers and bus commuters. Awe mwandi, may God help us!