The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
BUSINESSWOMEN in Manicaland have called on the Government to decentralise company registration services to enable more women to venture into businesses.
Speaking during a two-day capacity building workshop for Manicaland businesswomen held at a local hotel recently, Women’s Alliance of Business Associations in Zimbabwe (WABAZ) coordinator, Mrs Selina Chinembiri, said just like the Registrar General’s offices, the Registrar of Companies’ offices should also be decentralised so that they become easily accessible to local business players.
She said a lot of small to medium enterprises owned by women were running without proper documentation since the registration process is done in Harare only.
“If the Registrar of Companies’ offices are decentralised to other provinces, they will become easily accessible. Many productive SMEs owned by women are operating illegally because the process of travelling to Harare to register is cumbersome.
“These women cannot afford to leave their businesses and families unattended and travel to Harare to register their companies, and so they opt to continue operating illegally,” said Mrs Chinembiri.
She said businesswomen end up being duped by unscrupulous agents who promise to help them facilitate registration of their companies in Harare.
A local businesswoman, Mrs Violet Chitepo, said unregistered businesses owned by women that have the capacity to export their products and contribute to the country’s GDP were being hindered.
Mrs Chitepo is into sawmilling.
“We have the capacity to export and contribute to the recovery of our economy. We have fish farmers, macadamia farmers, restaurant owners and clothing shop operators, all of whom have the capacity to export as they have already penetrated local markets.
“If decentralisation of the offices is facilitated, there will be no room for us to be cheated by agents along the way of getting our business registered,” she said.
Mrs Chitepo said the burden of travelling brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic saw a lot of them falling prey to agents in the name of being helped to get their companies registered and formalised.
“During the lockdown, a lot of us were swindled because we wanted to have our companies registered, yet travelling was being prohibited. We lost a lot of money and as a result, many of us ended up operating illegally,” said Mrs Chitepo.
Castor bean farmer, Mrs Stembile Zimunya, shared similar sentiments and said once registered, she would be able to export her beans to South Africa and Mozambique.
“Currently, I cannot export because I am not registered. The markets that I have secured outside the country require certified registration to prove that they are buying from an authentic farmer and businesswoman.
“I am currently planning to go to Harare and register, but it will be easier if the offices are decentralised. Once these offices are decentralised, they become easily accessible,” said Mrs Zimunya.
With activities around the country, the WABAZ membership was drawn from across Manicaland and Marondera and received training from SMEDCO officials.
