Institute of Credit Administration (ICA) has advised the president-elect, Major General Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that his administration cuts cost of doing business in Nigeria.
The institute, in a statement “As Nigeria’s only national body for overseeing and monitoring standards, behaviour and administration of those who give, take, facilitate and manage credits in the economy, the ICA is confident that you, General Mohammed Buhari, has the requisite discipline to lead our great country into the next regime of strong economic prosperity, social justice and freedom.
“First among your priorities should be to address the nation’s urgent economic, social and security situation, and to build a strong economy for the future. Your approach no doubt should be to focus very quickly on structural reforms, fiscal responsibility and Investment.
“Set up as a matter of urgency a national agency that guarantees access to loans by SMEs, and not to disburse loan to them. Such agency can be called – Nigerian Credit Guarantee Corporation (NCGC). Surprisingly, up till today, Nigerian government is still not dreaming of creating this national platform that would support the development of SMEs.
“If a National Credit Guarantee Corporation is set up by the federal government with strong capital base and very robust operating fund, you can be sure that that corporation would serve as collateral and security which people who want to borrow money do not have, that is, those within the class of SMEs. This is the practice in other countries.
“The policy thrust of your government should be economic growth revival and massive infrastructural build ups to help boost economic growth.”