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"SOMETIMES we do not have to reinvent the wheel. We do not have to innovate all the time. We can just draw upon the fruit of other people's innovation. In this way as a latecomer we can take the advantage.
"We are not the first nation to build upon other people's innovation. It was the same story in Japan and Korea." These words were said by Fred Hu, chairperson of Primavera Capital Group, a leading China-based investment firm.
I thought of these words after reading the World Bank's latest report on the ease of doing business in Zimbabwe.
In that report Zimbabwe is ranked 150th out of 189 economies in terms of starting a business.
According to the report, procedures to start a business in Zimbabwe need nine stages which take 90 days in total.
Now this is sad: how difficult is it to just draw upon the fruit of other people's innovation?
With a few modifications to suit our country, I am sure we can just copy what those at number 1 or even number 50 are doing in terms of procedures needed to start a company.
We are not talking about building a space shuttle or starting a platform like Facebook.
We are just talking about starting and registering a company - just the paper work - no scientific research needed.
Takes 90 days in Zim, 19 in SA
In a country where the number of government workers - who are supposed to do the work - is so huge that it takes up 70% of the country's revenues, 90 days to register a company is just not on! The same process takes 19 days in South Africa, and 6.5 days in Zambia.
What is it that we are doing that is so special that it has to take 90 days?
And most importantly, what do we have to show for our meticulous registration process? We have one of the lowest number of registered companies in the world.
What I have since found out is that there is no willpower to correct the situation. The situation is artificially created to provide a feeding ground for the corrupt.
They make you stand and wait until you can’t stand any more. The easily corruptible will end up paying bribes and kickbacks to speed up the process or jump the queue.
It’s not uncommon to hear the clerks and officers who are supposed to just do their job say “if you had a bit of cash, I am sure I could talk to my boss to speed up the process for you”.
Corruption is now such a part of the system and culture in our society that people deliberately create chaos and delays targeted for the weaker and impatient among us.
The rot is now so imbued in us that you have to pay something even to get a place in school for your child.
It is against this background that I am not holding my breath that things in Zimbabwe are going to change for the better anytime soon.
- Fin24
*Malcom Sharara is Fin24’s correspondent in Zimbabwe. Views expressed are his own.
