His Excellency Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, has assigned the administration of the Competition Act and the Census and Statistics Act to the Minister of Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Hon. Senator Dr. K.R. Tagwirei (PB), through Statutory Instrument 181 of 2026, published in a Supplement to the Zimbabwean Government Gazette Extraordinary dated 12 November 2026.
The Assignment of Functions (Minister of Economic Development and Investment Promotion) Notice, 2026, issued in terms of Section 104(1) of the Constitution, as read with Section 37(2) of the Interpretation Act [Chapter 1:01], assigns the Minister responsibility for administering the Acts listed in its Schedule, namely the Competition Act [Chapter 14:28] and the Census and Statistics Act [Chapter 10:29]. It also assigns the Minister functions conferred by any Act, except where those functions have been assigned to another Minister.
The Notice amends the Assignment of Functions (Minister of Industry and Commerce) Notice, 2023 (Statutory Instrument 202 of 2023), to reflect the transfer of responsibility for competition regulation and national census and statistical functions to the Economic Development and Investment Promotion portfolio.
Concurrently, His Excellency President Mnangagwa has assigned the administration of a wide range of financial, banking, taxation and economic laws to the Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, through Statutory Instrument 180 of 2026, published as the Assignment of Functions (Minister of Finance) Notice, 2026.
The Notice, also issued in terms of Section 104(1) of the Constitution, as read with Section 37(2) of the Interpretation Act [Chapter 1:01], assigns the Minister of Finance responsibility for administering the Acts listed in its Schedule, together with functions conferred on the Minister by any Act, except where those functions have been assigned to another Minister.
The Schedule covers key legislation governing the country’s financial system, including the African Development Bank (Membership of Zimbabwe) Act, the Balance of Payments Reporting Act, the Bank Use Promotion Act, the Banking Act, the Bills of Exchange Act, the Borrowings (Validation) Act, 1987, the Building Societies Act, the Capital Gains Tax Act, the Chartered Accountants Act, the Collective Investment Schemes Act, 1997, the Constitution of Zimbabwe (Chapter XI: Sections 101–106), the Customs and Excise Act, the Debt Adjustment Tax Act, 1965, the Decimal Currency Act, the Department of Printing and Stationery (Commercialisation) Act, 1999, the Deposit Protection Act, the Estate Duty Act, the Exchange Control Act, the Finance Act, the Fiscal Appeal Court Act and the Former Administration (Liabilities) Act.
The Notice also repeals the Assignment of Functions (Minister of Finance and Economic Development) Notice, 2023, published under Statutory Instrument 197 of 2023, consolidating and updating the Finance Minister’s assigned functions under the current ministerial structure.
The concurrent issuance of Statutory Instruments 180 and 181 clarifies the division of ministerial responsibilities, placing financial, banking and taxation legislation under the Ministry of Finance, while competition and statistical legislation falls under the Ministry of Economic Development and Investment Promotion.
The development aligns the allocation of ministerial responsibilities with the country’s broader economic governance and development priorities under Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), providing a more defined framework for financial management, investment promotion, competition regulation and national statistical administration.
