Harare — YOUTH Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere has been forced to revise close to a dozen provisions of his controversial empowerment regulations announced in January.

Kasukuwere caused a political storm when he introduced the regulations that among other things compelled all foreign companies to cede at least 51% of their shares to indigenous Zimbabweans.

He ignored repeated MDC calls to widen the consultation window before effecting the regulations.

While up to now Kasukuwere still claims there is "no going back" on the regulations, impeccable sources confirmed that he has under pressure from both MDC formations and other stakeholders "revised at least 10 provisions, which is as good as rewriting the regulations".

The revised regulations would be presented to the Council of Ministers (CoM), chaired by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday for adoption before they go to cabinet for approval.

"The final document is going to be presented to the CoM on Thursday," said a source.

"Instead of using one approach for all sectors, the new provisions would be sector-based."

Stakeholders in different sectors such us mining, manufacturing, tourism, agriculture, retail, among others would use their own systems to come up with specific thresholds for their sectors.

Each sector would also determine their own timeframes for the implementation of the thresholds.

"Others may say one year, some may say 25 years, it all depends on what stakeholders in the particular sector would deem to be best," the source added.

Those opposing Kasukuwere's proposals had raised concerns that regulations were likely to benefit only a small part of the population.

This has also been changed to make the project "broadbased to cater for people who are currently disadvantaged, rather than those who are already empowered like Kasukuwere himself".

"The revisions emphasise 'seeding', which entails buying of shares, not expropriation. No one will get free shares. The law will also not apply to family businesses and new investors," added the source.

On Friday, Kasukuwere said "empowerment is moving ahead, there is no going back on indigenisation", but confirmed he had made changes to the regulations.

He said companies have already started making submissions.

"I have always said we will continue to develop the regulations. Companies have started submitting their proposals, we are evaluating them," said Kasukuwere.

Kasukuwere allayed fears that he would use the law to empower himself and a few of his cronies, saying there would be provisions for the law to empower the marginalised.

"This is going to be a broadbased policy, based on our understanding of the need to empower the majority. We have got to open room for our people. How can women be poor when they are the biggest contributors to the economy."

The revisions will be structured along the lines of South Africa's Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), which was gazetted in 2007 following complaints that the 2003/2004 Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) scheme had only enriched a few blacks.

The South African law also recognises Asians like Indians and Chinese as previously disadvantaged.