Itai Ndongwe
HARARE — The government has scrapped the Road Access Fee with immediate effect, saying the charge had become unnecessary after the introduction of Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) toll gates across the country.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona announced the removal after Statutory Instrument 113 of 2026 was gazetted on July 24, giving legal effect to the decision.
The Road Access Fee was introduced in 2009, before Zimbabwe had a national road tolling system.
According to Mhona, the introduction of toll gates later resulted in motorists paying both the Road Access Fee and toll fees for road-related services.
“This duplication imposed unnecessary financial and administrative burdens on transport operators and the travelling public,” Mhona said in a statement.
The Road Access Fee had been collected alongside toll fees for 16 years, with transport operators repeatedly raising concerns over the additional cost.
The government said the decision is part of a wider review of taxes, licences, permits and regulatory fees aimed at reducing costs and making it easier to do business.
The review follows a directive by President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the first Cabinet meeting of 2026 for government ministries, departments and agencies to identify and remove excessive administrative costs.
Since last year, Cabinet has also approved reviews of fees charged by the Central Vehicle Registry, Road Motor Transportation and the Vehicle Inspectorate Department.
The Transport Ministry said it has now rationalised charges across the three departments, including removing requirements and permit fees that duplicate functions performed by other agencies.
Mhona said scrapping the Road Access Fee was part of efforts to create a more efficient and business-friendly transport regulatory system.
He said the reforms were also aimed at improving Zimbabwe’s economic competitiveness.
The minister urged drivers, vehicle owners and transport operators to continue complying with road transport regulations while benefiting from the revised fee structure.
