Zimbabwe Targets 22% Tax-to-GDP Ratio by 2030 as ZIMRA Marks 25 Years

Zimbabwe’s government set a target to raise the tax-to-GDP ratio to 22 percent by 2030 as the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority marked 25 years of operations, Finance Minister Hon. Prof. Mthuli Ncube said Tuesday.

Francis S. Bingandadi

Speaking at ZIMRA’s Silver Jubilee in Harare, Ncube said the authority’s mandate has remained constant since 2001 even as the economy changed. “When ZIMRA was established in 2001, our economy, technology and patterns of commerce were very different. Yet its fundamental mandate has remained constant: to mobilise revenue, administer tax and Customs laws and facilitate legitimate trade and travel.”

The minister told guests at HICC that ZIMRA’s revenue collections reflect the growth of the economy. "From collecting millions in its early years, the Authority now mobilises billions in revenue," Ncube said.

He linked revenue performance directly to economic size. "Today, Zimbabwe is a US$66 billion-plus economy and continues to grow. As our economy expands, ZIMRA must rise with it," Ncube said.

Ncube framed domestic resource mobilisation as central to national policy amid tight external financing. “This is particularly significant at a time when many developing countries, including Zimbabwe, face constrained access to affordable international financing, rising financing costs and a shrinking pool of development assistance.”

"In this environment, domestic resource mobilisation is not simply a revenue administration objective; it is an essential pillar of economic sovereignty and national resilience," he said.

The minister outlined government expectations for the next phase. “As Zimbabwe advances towards Vision 2030, Government expects ZIMRA to broaden the tax base, strengthen compliance, reduce revenue leakages and make compliance simpler, fairer and more predictable.”

"Our ambition is to raise the tax-to-GDP ratio to 22 percent by 2030, consistent with our national development objectives and regional convergence ambitions. That is the standard against which the next phase of ZIMRA's journey must be measured," Ncube said.

He credited policy under President Emmerson Mnangagwa for creating conditions for revenue growth. “It is also important, at the occasion of this milestone, to recognise the leadership and guidance provided by the Second Republic under the astute leadership of His Excellency, the President, Cde Dr E. D. Mnangagwa.”

"The initiatives undertaken by the Second Republic to stabilise the economy, strengthen macroeconomic management, promote investment, support productive sectors and create an environment for sustainable economic growth have an important bearing on our capacity to mobilise domestic resources," Ncube said.

Ncube also highlighted the role of taxpayers. “But behind every dollar mobilised is a taxpayer, a business, a worker, an entrepreneur or a trader participating in Zimbabwe's economy. That is why, as we celebrate ZIMRA's Silver Jubilee, we also celebrate our taxpayers.”

He said the 2026 Taxpayer Appreciation Awards recognised compliance. “The 2026 Taxpayer Appreciation Awards being presented today recognise businesses and taxpayers whose compliance, integrity and contribution have strengthened Zimbabwe's fiscal foundation. These are more than awards. They are a recognition of partnership.”

Looking ahead, Ncube said ZIMRA must modernize. “The Zimbabwe of tomorrow will be more sophisticated, more interconnected and increasingly digital. ZIMRA must therefore remain equal to the economy it serves, modern in its systems, intelligent in its administration, efficient at our borders and responsive to the taxpayers who sustain our nation.”

He set a standard for institutional conduct. “Above all, ZIMRA must remain an institution that commands public confidence: firm where the law requires firmness, fair in its administration, professional in its conduct and responsive in its service. That is the ZIMRA that Zimbabwe needs.”

Concluding, Ncube said the next 25 years must build on the foundation. "Twenty-five years ago, Zimbabwe built ZIMRA to strengthen the fiscal capacity of the State. 

Today, we celebrate what that institution has become. And tomorrow, we expect ZIMRA to rise with the economy, rise to the demands of a changing Zimbabwe, and rise to the responsibility of mobilising every dollar lawfully due to the nation."