Kaduna automates business registrations, payments

Kaduna State is determined to sustain its leading position as the number one sub-national in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business ranking in Nigeria, Mr Jimi Lawal, Senior Adviser Counsellor has said.

Mr Lawal who chairs  the Economic Development Council, one of the five policy Councils of Kaduna State, revealed that all the service sectors have been automated.

According to the Special Adviser Counsellor, business permits, tax clearance certificates, building permits and all sorts of payments for services  can now be done online without human interface.

‘’By automating our processes, you can now go online, provide the necessary information and in a matter of minutes, you make payments. The computer will respond by giving you a number. And then, the signing of the certificate will also be done in a matter of minutes,’’  he said.

Mr Lawal said that the automation  will improve efficiency, attract more investors, enhance transparency and further improve the Ease of Doing Business in Kaduna State.

The Chairman of the Economic Development Council also said that old system which is still being practised in some states, is very cumbersome and time wasting.

‘’If you want to set up a business, you will apply for a business permit or license in the Ministry of Commerce or its equivalent. In some states, it will take two to three months to get it. They will give you all sorts of forms to fill and then you go to a Notary Public or to court. All these take a long time before an investor gets the license,’’ he explained.

According to Mr Lawal, all this long process had already been taken care of by Kaduna State Government, adding that with the automaton, the   process will even be much faster.

‘’So, when it comes to the next evaluation (of the World Bank), what we are doing in Kaduna State compared to other states, is improving on our system. All other states are trying to improve their processes manually; by the time we complete our automation, it will be difficult to catch up with us’’, he added.

The Special Adviser Counsellor also said that businessmen do not have to go to the office of Kaduna State Inland Revenue Service (KADIRS) to make payments.

According to him, land application and securing building permits have been automated as ‘’you don’t have  to go to Kaduna State Urban and Planning Development Authority(KASUPDA) and queue to pay for them.’’

Mr Lawal said that he is optimistic that Kaduna State will sustain its world Bank ranking as the number one State  on the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.