Government unveils strategy on ease of doing business

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The Federal Government is set to establish a council to address issues associated with the ease of doing business in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.

Disclosing this yesterday at the 11th Abuja International Trade Fair holding in Abuja, Buhari said the proposed Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), would help to review and remove all encumbrances to trade.

PEBEC would also enforce simplification as well as streamlining the export, import documentation and procedures leveraging on technology with a view to removing administrative bottlenecks.

According to the president, “we hope to achieve a reduction in the cost of doing business in Nigeria. We are also looking at the area of improving efficiency in business registration, entry process including visa reforms, land reform registrations and contract agreements.’’

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajia Aisha Abubakar, who represented Buhari said that government in its plan to develop and promote the activities of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has expanded the number of participating agencies in the Nigeria Enterprises Development Programme [NEDEP).

Other participating agencies include Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

The president added that government has also put in place a steering committee to develop a road map and policy for the implementation of the MSME policy framework.