Zimbabwe’s leading industrial city, Bulawayo, is currently facing a challenge prevalent in developing municipalities globally: the increasing burden of city taxes.
Companies operating in the industrial zone are now pushing back on what seems to be a consistently growing challenge.
Their grievance was detailed in an 80-page report by the Bulawayo Chapter of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, revealing that taxes are affecting enterprise, discouraging investment, and fast-tracking the city's industrial dip.
According to some business leaders, the long-delayed Zambezi Water Project is partly to blame for the city's prevalent challenges, including companies shutting down or relocating to other regions like Harare, rising unemployment, and the deterioration of Bulawayo's once-thriving industrial base.
"A serious concern has been raised regarding rates and taxes levied on commercial properties in certain parts of Bulawayo being higher than those charged in top-end residential and commercial neighbourhoods in Harare, including Borrowdale," the chamber said.
