Staff Reporter
Non-compliant business operators, who were not conforming to the set business laws, regulations and City Council by-laws, prejudicing the Government of billions of dollars in revenue, were arrested by law enforcement officers, this past week.
This was revealed yesterday, by the Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province, Tafadzwa Muguti who through a Press Statement, said that the law enforcement agencies visited 1 148 business premises and only found 355 compliant businesses.
“As at the close of business on Friday 01 July 2022, the teams, comprising officials from Government Ministries and Agencies, Local Authorities and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), had visited a total of 1,148 business premises. Out of these 793 businesses were non-compliant to one or a combination of the above Laws and Regulations and 355 were fully compliant. Non-compliant operators were arrested and paid admission of guilty fines at local police stations,” said Muguti.
Muguti stated that the non-compliant business operators were not abiding to the Companies Act, Taxation Laws, Health regulations, Local Authority by-Laws, National Social Security regulations, Immigration and Refugee regulations and Liquor Licensing regulations.
Meanwhile, Muguti expressed gratitude to all business operators who continue to abide to the business laws and regulations.
“The Office of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution would like to thank all those business operators who have cooperated and would like to take this opportunity to inform the business community and the public at large that the blitz underway seeks to bring order and curb revenue leakages to the State and Local Authorities for the attainment of an improved service delivery for a better Harare,” reiterated Muguti.
Last month, Muguti issued a statement warning non-compliant businesses, while highlighting that he was going to deploy a Provincial Task Force, which would be led by the Office of Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution to deal with non-compliant businesses operating in the province.
Meanwhile, Muguti emphasized that Harare Metropolitan Province has zero tolerance to corruption, lawlessness and disorder.
