Tinotenda Hove- The Government has finally abolished a range of vehicle-related fees that critics have long argued unfairly burdened motorists and transport operators, raising fresh questions over why Zimbabweans were required to pay what authorities now acknowledge were unnecessary and overlapping charges for years.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development announced that, with immediate effect, several fees imposed by the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), Road Motor Transportation (RMT) and the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) have been removed following a government review.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Advocate Felix Mhona said the changes stem from a directive issued by President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the first Cabinet meeting of 2026.

“During the first Cabinet meeting of 2026, His Excellency the President, Cde Dr E.D. Mnangagwa, directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to finalise the review of taxes, licences, permits and regulatory fees charged across Government.

This directive is part of the broader national effort to eliminate excessive administrative costs, streamline regulatory processes, and strengthen Zimbabwe’s economic competitiveness by enhancing the ease of doing business,” Mhona said.

The minister revealed that Cabinet had approved the elimination of charges considered “unjustifiable, duplicative or overlapping,” resulting in a significant overhaul of fees collected by transport-related departments.

“Since last year, Cabinet has considered and approved the review of fees charged by the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), Road Motor Transportation (RMT) and the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID), with particular emphasis on removing unjustifiable, duplicative or overlapping charges,” he said.

He added that the reforms had already been given legal force.

“Pursuant to this directive, the Ministry has successfully rationalised all fees charged by the above-mentioned Departments, including the removal of regulatory requirements and permit charges that duplicated functions across agencies and transactional fees that hindered operational efficiency.

I am pleased to advise the nation that Statutory Instrument 113 of 2026 was gazetted on 24 July 2026, giving legal effect to the removal of the Road Access Fee,” Mhona said.

The announcement amounts to an admission that motorists were effectively paying twice for the same service after the Road Access Fee continued to exist even after the nationwide introduction of toll gates.

“The Road Access Fee was introduced in 2009, at a time when Zimbabwe did not yet have a national road tolling system,” the minister explained.

“With the subsequent rollout of ZINARA toll gates across the national road network, the fee became duplicative, resulting in motorists being charged twice for the same service.”

He acknowledged that the arrangement had placed unnecessary financial pressure on both transport operators and ordinary citizens.

“This duplication imposed unnecessary financial and administrative burdens on transport operators and the travelling public. The Ministry remains firmly committed to creating a modern, efficient and business-friendly transport regulatory framework,” Mhona said.

He urged motorists to comply with existing transport regulations while benefiting from the revised fee structure.

“I therefore urge all drivers, vehicle owners and transport operators to comply fully with road transport regulations and to take advantage of the revised, streamlined fee structure now in place.”

While the fee removals have been welcomed as a step towards reducing the cost of doing business, the development is also likely to fuel debate over why Zimbabweans continued to pay charges that the Government now concedes had become unjustified and duplicative long after the country’s tolling system was established.