The Federal Government is currently
working towards streamlining the
number of agencies operating in the
nation’s ports to only six from about
eight. This is part of the decisions
reached at an expanded meeting of the
Presidential Enabling Business
Environment Council presided over by
the Acting President, Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja on Tuesday. According to a
statement by the council’s secretariat,
the meeting approved a national action
plan to be implemented across its three
priority areas of entry and exit of
goods; entry and exit of people; and
government transparency and
procurement over the next 60 days to
deliver tangible changes for Small and
Medium-scale Enterprises in Nigeria.
The reforms, the statement added,
would also help improve Nigeria’s
ranking in the World Bank Doing
Business Index 2018. The statement
read in part, “The reforms are to be
implemented by the Enabling Business
Environment Secretariat, which became
operational in October 2016 and has Dr.
Jumoke Oduwole, the Senior Special
Assistant to the President on Industry,
Trade and Investment as its
coordinator. “The Council was also
briefed on the forthcoming EBES
stakeholders’ engagement forum
scheduled for Kano and Lagos on
February 23 and 24, respectively. The
forums are part of steps being taken to
receive feedback and ensure
widespread adoption of the PEBEC
reforms. “One of the reforms to be
implemented to ease the process of
starting a business is the upgrade of the
CAC online portal to ensure document
upload capabilities that will make it
possible for new businesses to be
registered online from start to finish
without having to visit the CAC office.
“Also, work is ongoing to streamline the
number of agencies operating at the
nation’s ports to just six. Council also
listened to updates on the proposed
Single Window Initiative at the ports,
which is expected to become
operational by Q4 2017.” On the entry
and exit of people, the statement said
the PEBEC observed that the visa on
arrival and 48-hour visa processing
procedures of the Nigeria Immigration
Service were already operational with
various levels of compliance. It said the
council was also collaborating with
state governments like Lagos and Kano
to make the processes for obtaining
construction permits and registering
properties faster, cheaper and easier. It
added, “In addition, PEBEC will work
with the National Assembly to pass
important bills like the National
Collateral Registry Bill and the Credit
Bureau Services Bill, which would ease
access to credit for SMEs. “To show
their commitment to PEBEC’s reform
agenda, the Senate President, Bukola
Saraki; and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Yakubu Dogara,
attended Tuesday’s meeting.”
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