The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to creating progressive and attractive business environment in the country.
Dr Jumoke Oduwole, the Secretary of Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), made the pledge during a Stakeholders Forum on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos.
She said that government would deepen existing reforms at ministries, departments and agencies to ensure that effects of such reforms trickled down to businesses in the country.
According to her, government will utilise training, advocacy, communication and sensitisation of stakeholders on reforms made so that they can verify for feedback.
She said that Federal Government would work with each state to create conducive and friendly business climes toward increasing internally generated revenues and diversification of the economy.
Oduwole said that government would facilitate initiatives that would improve trading within Nigeria through seamless movement of goods, services and people.
She said that PEBEC in its 60 days National Action Plan achieved success in critical areas of entry and exit of goods, people and transparency of government’s programme.
According to her, successes achieved in ports renovation, business registration and ease of access for Visa acquisition would have positive impact on businesses.
Mrs Eme Essien-Lore, Country Manager, International Finance Corporation (IFC), said that improving the country’s business climate was critical to institutionalise, formalise and enhance the growth of Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) sector.
She said that improving the country’s enabling business ranking was vital to attracting desired investments and stimulating economic growth.
“There is a lot to do for Nigeria to move up in the World Bank’s doing business ranking and being the largest economy in Africa, we expect Nigeria to do better.
“The focus that government has given to address the various difficult areas along the indicators is very encouraging,” she said.
The country manager said that government’s focus should not be on just changing the country’s ranking, but ensuring that SMEs and investors felt the effects of the improvement through easier business environment.
Mr Toba Otusanya, Director-General, Lagos State Office of Transformation, Creativity and Innovation, said that the state government had initiated several reforms to make businesses thrive in the state.
He said that in pursuit of improving the business environment, the government had reformed construction and regulation permits in the state. (NAN)
AIO/ENN/TA