FG tasks states on ease of doing business legislation

The Federal Government has urged the state governments to evolve or amend legislation that will enhance ease of doing business in their various states.

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Secretary and Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja.

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She was speaking at the Sub-national Technical Workshop with states on ease of doing business reform champions and heads of investment promotion agencies.

She said that an ‘Omnibus’ bill to that effect at the national level is on the way.

She said that that it was important to discuss the ease of doing business intervention and the Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) project for maximum impacts.

The presidential aide also said that the second report on the ease of doing business will be released in the second quarters of the year, and that the report is to improve business environments for other states to also know what other states are doing in terms of reforms.

“We are also working with the National Assembly; we have our own bill coming up soon. And we’re urging states to do the same to look at their business environments and whatever legislation that are needed to amend and make those laws with their state Houses of Assembly.

“Now, we are having a second edition of the Ease of Doing Business Report that will be released in the second quarter of this year, hopefully by about April or May, before we get too deep into the political cycle. The idea is that states can use the information in the report to improve their business environments, and they can also know what other states are doing in terms of reforms.

“Basically, the reform of the project is feedback from the private sector. So it is based on perceptions of the private sector of what the business environment is in those states,” Oduwole said.

On the challenges confronting small and medium scale businesses at the state level, she said, “I think one of the areas that has permeated across will be maybe multiple taxation and the cost of doing business. So, taxation, like I said, is one thing, but you have some businesses being taxed in many areas, thus this has to be looked into.”