The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has pushed for more reforms to encourage ease of doing business in Nigeria, not just with the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDA) but also in the private sector.
Speaking recently at the Lagos Stakeholders Forum of the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES) held at the Four Point Hotel, Victoria Island last Friday, coordinator of EBES, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole said Nigeria currently ranked 169 in the World Bank Doing Business Ranking.
According to her the mission of PEBEC/EBES is to make businesses work in Nigeria and the main barometer for measuring that would be the testimonials by Nigerians themselves.
“Our vision is a dramatic improvement in Nigeria’s business environment over the next three years to a top 100 ranking in the World Bank Doing Business Report, with increased cross-border trading, increased productivity across key economic sectors and an improved business environment that is attractive to both domestic and foreign investors,” she said.
Speaking at the Lagos forum, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, said the renewed push to ease the business environment was due to the realisation that “every country that has gotten it right has enabled businesses. It is the most sustainable long term way.”
At one of the sessions, the Special Adviser to the Corporate Affairs Commission’s Registrar General, Alhaji Garba Abubakar said the CAC has consolidated the forms required to incorporate a business in Nigeria, reducing the number from seven to one.
“We now have just one form which has been deployed this week. It contains all the information you need to register and is available for download on the CAC website. This reduces the cost and time needed to register a business,” Abubakar explained.
He said the CAC would ensure that business owners are able to upload documents electronically as part of its deliverables in the 60-day National Action Plan on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.
Some other reform initiatives announced at the forums include the CAC upcoming reform that will allow business owners to get e-stamps for stamp duties without the need to visit the offices of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Other facilitators at the event include Ms. Yewande Sadiku, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) and Mrs. Jameelah Ayedun, the MD of CR Services.
There were also officials from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Eko Distribution Company, the National Collateral Registry, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), amongst others.