Zimbabwe’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Hon. Adv. F. T. Mhona, has announced the removal of the Road Access Fee, a levy that had been charged to motorists since 2009, after Cabinet approved the change as part of a broader review of government charges.
In a press statement, Mhona said Statutory Instrument 113 of 2026 was gazetted on 24 July 2026, giving legal effect to the fee’s removal. He described the move as a milestone aligned with the Ministry’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business and strengthening economic competitiveness.
According to the statement, the decision stems from a directive issued by President Emmerson Mnangagwa during the first Cabinet meeting of 2026, instructing all government ministries, departments, and agencies to finalise a review of taxes, licences, permits, and regulatory fees. The directive formed part of a wider national effort to eliminate excessive administrative costs and streamline regulatory processes across government.
Mhona said that since last year, Cabinet had considered and approved changes to fees charged by the Central Vehicle Registry, Road Motor Transportation, and the Vehicle Inspectorate Department, with particular attention paid to removing charges considered unjustifiable, duplicative, or overlapping. He said the Ministry had since rationalised all fees charged by these departments, including regulatory requirements and permit charges that duplicated functions across agencies, as well as transactional fees that had hindered operational efficiency.
Addressing the specific rationale for scrapping the Road Access Fee, Mhona explained that it was introduced in 2009 at a time when Zimbabwe did not yet have a national road tolling system. With the subsequent rollout of ZINARA toll gates across the national road network, he said the fee had become duplicative, effectively resulting in motorists being charged twice for the same service. This duplication, he added, had placed unnecessary financial and administrative burdens on both transport operators and the travelling public.
Mhona said the Ministry remains committed to building a modern, efficient, and business-friendly transport regulatory framework, and urged drivers, vehicle owners, and transport operators to comply fully with road transport regulations while taking advantage of the newly streamlined fee structure.
The announcement forms part of a broader pattern of regulatory reviews across Zimbabwean government institutions this year, aimed at reducing overlapping charges and administrative bottlenecks that have historically added to the cost of compliance for businesses and individuals. The Ministry indicated that further engagement with the public and transport sector stakeholders would continue as the revised fee structure takes effect.
