The informal sector has become the major employer in Zimbabwe, but the sector is not contributing meaningfully to the treasury due to noncompliance on tax remittances by the operators. The research was done on 50 businesses in the retail sector in Gweru. The findings are that minimal efforts are being put in place to enforce compliance, and corruption levels are high among the tax collection officials. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) evade compliance by paying bribes, keeping two sets of records, relocating to new premises without notifying authorities, and temporarily closing businesses during compliance blitz. Penalties have been found to be the most effective in enforcing compliance. Publicity should be increased by authorities using radio, television, and pamphlets, which were found to be most effective. In addition, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) should give business people more formal tax education to enhance understanding of tax obligations and compliance.

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of management accounting practices on the decision-making process of the entity operating within the manufacturing sector using a case of Capadvise Foods and Logistics (Pvt) Ltd. The research study was based on the period from 2014 to 2017 which was majorly characterised by huge amounts of losses. Capadvise Foods experienced huge amounts of losses in spite of the existence of management accounting practices. This encouraged the researchers to seek out an in-depth insight on the impact of management accounting on decision making in light of such losses which were continually experienced. The researchers made use of questionnaires and interviews to collect qualitative and quantitative data about the opinions and attitudes of employees and management at Capadvise Foods regarding management accounting tools. The researchers found that management accounting tools contributed positively to the organisational decision making through provision, interpretation and analysis of data, enhancement in communication, relevant cost analysis and creation of budgets and forecasting. However, the researchers found that management accounting practices were compromised by technological advancement, organisational strategy, organisational factors and intensity of market competition. After analysing the results attained the researchers recommended for Capadvise Foods which include enrolling qualified management accounting staff, decision makers are allowed to make use of internal reports generated by management accountants and adoption of management accounting practices in order to allow proper and accurate decision making to take place.

The objective of this research was to establish the impact of debt finance on the profitability of a firm using A furniture retail company (pseudo name “A”) as a case study. The mixed methods approach was employed quantitative data from financial statements and qualitative data from interviews. The target population was 25, hence the researchers used a population census, 24 participants assisted in the research. The statistical method used for analysing secondary data was STATA 11. The regression model and variables incorporated were debt ratio, which was the independent variable, and the return on asset ratio, which was the dependent variable, and the measure of profitability in this particular research. Main findings from the research indicated that debt financing was significantly and statistically negatively affecting the return on assets of the company. The regression yielded a p-value of 0.018 and a coefficient of 0.9992 thus confirming a 99.92% that the variability in profitability is well explained by the independent variable used in this research which is debt finance. The study recommends companies to carry out an in-depth cost-benefit analysis of debt financing to ensure optimum profitability especially for small and private limited companies in a volatile economy (Zimbabwe).

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There has been a rapid increase in the number of fraud and corruption cases despite statutory audits being carried out. This led to the rise in demand for forensic auditing services and in response audit firms began offering this service. The audit firms however suffer from lack of adequate resources, training, knowledge and practical experience. Taking into consideration the impact of these factors this research sought to investigate the effectiveness of forensic audit as a tool for the detection and prevention of fraudulent activities using a Chartered Accountancy Company in Zimbabwe as a case study. The research utilized a mixed approach whereby quantitative data was gathered from closed ended questions quantified using the Likert scale. Qualitative data was gathered from open ended questions and 3 interviews were also conducted. A total of 20 questionnaires were distributed using random sampling, 19 were returned and one lost in the process. To analyze the data the multiple regression method was employed and data was presented using bar graphs and tables supported by explanations. The research revealed that there is a positive relationship between training, level of education and ability to detect and prevent fraud. It was also found that litigation support service has a huge role to play in the effectiveness of forensic auditing in detecting and preventing fraud. Recommendations were made towards increase in training sessions as well as engaging in training and development programs to fully equip auditors with knowledge.