Zambia Advances e-Government: SMART Zambia and BRRA Partner on Digital Licensing

The SMART Zambia Institute  and the Business Regulatory Review Agency (BRRA)  have formalized a partnership aimed at digitising and streamlining Zambia’s business licensing and regulatory services. The agreement was sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Lusaka, committing both institutions to eliminate redundant processes and advance e-Government service delivery.

The collaboration seeks to tackle longstanding challenges faced by businesses, including navigating fragmented systems, repeated documentation requirements, and prolonged turnaround times across multiple agencies. SMART Zambia National Coordinator, Mr. Percy Chinyama, described the partnership as “a strategic commitment to modernise, simplify, and digitise the way government delivers licensing and regulatory services to businesses in Zambia.”

Under the agreement, SMART Zambia will provide technical support to regulatory bodies, ensuring systems meet national digital standards and operate on interoperable shared platforms. The partnership also enables secure administrative information sharing among public agencies, reducing duplication of data and increasing efficiency.

BRRA Executive Director, Ms. Sharon Sichilongo, highlighted the complementary roles of the two institutions, noting that regulatory reform cannot be separated from digital transformation. The initiative will also engage the private sector to ensure that regulatory reforms align with business needs, while capacity-building programmes and joint training will equip officers with modern digital skills.

Technical teams from both SMART Zambia and BRRA will immediately commence coordinated implementation efforts, including system integration planning and process mapping, marking a significant step toward a fully digital business licensing ecosystem in Zambia.