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Tag: Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC)

  • FG unveils app to boost ease of doing business

    The Federal Government through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has unveiled the REPORTGOV.NG App, a new Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Mobile App to drive the ease of doing business initiative.

    The REPORTGOV.NG App, which is a web-based portal, is Nigeria’s official public service feedback and complaints platform for business environment reforms.

    The innovative app will allow the PEBEC office to resolve issues and complaints encountered by private sector operators with government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) within 72 hours of lodging same.

    The PEBEC was established in July 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari with the aim of eliminating the delays and restrictions that come with doing business in Nigeria.

    The launch of the web-based application was, therefore, a step forward in the Federal Government’s resolve to make the business environment conducive and also boost domestic and foreign investments.

    At the unveiling of the app in Lagos, last week Thursday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, Office of the Vice President, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said the platform would facilitate the escalation and resolution of issues encountered with MDAs towards ensuring a more business-friendly environment.

    She explained that the app was co-launched by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okey Enelamah; Chairman, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Mr. Adedotun Sulaiman and herself at the Regulatory Conversations (RC3.0) event.

    Read also: Samsung has transformed Nigeria into FPSO construction hub – NCDMB

    The event themed “Improving Transparency and Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria” was hosted by The Convention on Business Integrity/The Integrity Organisation in collaboration with ActionAid, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and BusinessDay Newspapers.

    Dr. Oduwole described the app as revolutionary, pointing out that Nigeria has never walked down this road before. “Collaboration has been the cornerstone of this initiative,” she said, adding that PEBEC engaged extensively with various stakeholders.

    She noted that the initiative was aimed at making sure that public and civil servants adhere to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) on making the business environment conducive

    The presidential aid said the PEBEC has spent a lot of time building capacity to ensure that feedbacks and complaints from the private sector are resolved within the 72 hours approved by the president.

    Also speaking, Dr. Enelamah said the launch of the app was in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to being a business enabler and facilitator. “It’s about energizing businesses and making the business environment conducive,” he said.

    The Minister added that the app is already available on Google Play Store for download, and it will soon be available on the iOS store to enable users give feedback or complaint that will drive continuous improvement in service delivery and public protection efforts.

    The Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Muda Yusuf, described the app as “A game changer and one of the best things to happen to this country.”

    He said although, the PEBEC office has been doing a lot, it’s still work in progress. “There is still a whole lot more to be done, despite a few signs of progress that have been made,” he said.

    Yusuf, who spoke during a panel discussion to discuss issues bordering on transparency and efficiency of service delivery in Nigeria, however, observed that there is need for the World Bank to review the indicators for composition of the EoDB Index to reflect the reality of each country.

    He said countries vary in their peculiarities and challenges; that some of the indicators in the EoDB composition do not properly capture the critical variables in the Nigerian environment such as power, transportation and security.

    “We need to address all these other variables that are not on the list of the EoDB parameters,” Yusuf said, pointed out, for instance, that the present indicators are about construction permit, ease of starting business, credit, reforms, trading across borders, amongst others.

  • FIRS nets N4.03tr in 2017

    FIRS nets N4.03tr in 2017

    …collects N720bn more than 2016 collection

    The Federal Inland Revenue Service ( FIRS ) said it collected a total of N4.03 trillion in 2017.

    This figure represents 82.38% of government set target of N4.89 trillion for the last year.

    A statement signed by Wahab Gbadamosi, Head, Communications and Servicom Department of the Service said “FIRS’ collection of N4.03 trillion is N720 billion (22%) more than the 2016 total collection figure of N3.305 trillion. The 2017 collection performance exceeded the 2016 collection performance of 78.75%.”

    Executive Chairman of FIRS, Mr. Tunde Fowler was quoted to have said “with the support of the National Assembly, and that of other stakeholders, FIRS was able to collect over N4 trillion in 2017. This is an increase of over 20 per cent relative to our collection in 2016. We are hopeful that going forward, FIRS will be able to fund this country through taxation.

    Going back memory lane, the FIRS Chairman recalled that when he was the Lagos Internal Revenue Service, LIRS Executive Chairman, the Oba of Lagos played an important role in tax collection. Apart from supporting LIRS morally, Fowler recalled that Oba Akiolu mandated the White cap chiefs to accompany LIRS officials to key markets and most parts of Lagos to sensitise the people on tax collection.

    The FIRS Chairman shed light on FIRS’ collection in 2017: “we all recall that beginning from the second half of 2014, there has been a sustained decline in the global prices of oil. Oil Revenue Generated by FIRS in 2014 – 2.45 Trillion; Oil Revenue Generated in 2015 – N1.29 Trillion; FIRS Oil Revenue Generated in 2016 – N1.16 Trillion; FIRS Oil Revenue Generated in 2017 – N1.52 Trillion.”

    This trend he said had adverse effect on the ability of oil dependent countries to meet their development objectives. “For us in Nigeria, the decline in receipts from oil revenue and the concomitant decline in accruals to States from the Federation Account has placed many States in a financial quandary to the point where basic obligations such as the payment of employee wages has become a perennial challenge. This is not the first time Nigeria will experience economic slow-down as a result of fluctuations in global oil prices.”

    Fowler noted that the FIRS under his watch “hopes to ensure that we act differently this time around by looking beyond oil as the mainstay of our economy. By putting our hands together in contributing to our set goal, I am confident that we will surpass our past results and we’ll be well on our way to the future we hope to achieve.”

    Fowler noted that though collection increased by 20 per cent relative to 2016, the Cost of Collection went down to 2.49 per cent in 2017 relative to the 2.60 per cent cost of collection in 2016 and   2.62 in 2015. This, the FIRS Chairman noted, attests to the growing efficiency in collection by the Service and to which the embrace of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) tools contributed.

    On his part, the Oba of Lagos noted that 60 or 70 per cent of FIRS collection comes from Lagos, to this end he said he will be sending a letter to Senate President Bukola Saraki to draw his attention to the 1851 treaty, which the colonial government signed with Oba Akintoye: that three per cent of all taxes collected in Lagos will go to the Oba, while 2 per cent of all exports will go to Oba Akintoye. “While I am not asking that this be paid to me now, it could be paid to the Lagos State Government”.

    The Oba who said he lives by example stated that he pays as much as N350 million in tax every year.

    Nigeria he said now needs good governance that will deliver development to the people. “FIRS has collected N4 trillion and they will collect more in the futures. The legacy that Tunde Fowler has made in Lagos is still felt but you have more work to do,

    Lagos does not discriminate against anybody just as the state will not accept any injustice from any quarters.”

    He enjoined Senators and members of the House of Reps to dialogue with and give, President Muhammadu Buhari a chance as he loves Nigeria. He also called on the federal parliamentarians to support the anti-graft war by confirming the Economic and Financial Commission Chairman, Ibrahim Magu. Nigeria, the monarch assured will not break.

    The FIRS contributed N2.78 trillion to the Federation Accounts. Representing 99.5% of the target for 2017 (7.5% higher than 2016 performance).

    An analysis of the collection performance indicates that non-oil accounted for 63% while oil tax accounted for 38% of the total collection. Stamp Duty recorded the most increase in performance with 94%.

    The achievements recorded by the FIRS from the administrative and operational initiatives introduced by the Executive Chairman, Tunde Fowler in 2015 and 2016 were designed to reposition the agency.

    The 2018 Ease of Doing Business report, released by the World Bank Group late last year, shows that Nigeria moved up 11 places in terms of the ease of paying taxes. This contributed to Nigeria’s movement by 24 points/places in the (from 169th to 124th position in the Ease of Doing business globally.

    The initiatives which directly impacted on business owners, implemented by the Service with the support of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council ( PEBEC ) contributed to Nigeria’s upward movement in global ease of doing business ranking.

  • CAC Designs Portal For Company Registration To Curb Fraud

    CAC Designs Portal For Company Registration To Curb Fraud

    The Acting Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission ( CAC ), Lady Azuka Azinge yesterday in Kano said the Commission has introduced online registration method aimed at curbing the menace of fraudsters and middle men.

    Speaking during a sensitization progarmme in Kano, Lady Azuka said the online registration method will go a long way in removing hiccups and ambiguities hitherto associated with registration of companies in the country.

    According to her, the sensitization visit is organized in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council ( PEBEC ).

    She added that its intention was to bring together the management of the Commission, stakeholders and members of the public to interact on issues pertaining to the current reform initiatives of the Commission to provide enabling business environment in the country.

    “The Kano sensitization programme which is the second in the series is in pursuant to the 60 days Action PLAN OF THE Federal Government on Ease of Doing BUSINESS IN Nigeria. The first visit was held in Lagos on the 19th October, 2017.”

    In her goodwill message, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Senior Special Assistant to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Trade and Investment, represented by Ms Rebecca Dokun, a Reform Leader with EBES, hailed the CAC reform initiatives and urged stakeholders and members of the public to take advantage of the Company Registration Portal (CRP) to register their business directly without hitches.

  • FG to begin 60 days action plan on ease of doing business

    FG to begin 60 days action plan on ease of doing business

    The Federal Government will begin another 60 days action plan in the 2nd of October towards ease of doing business in the country.

    The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of AN expanded Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting was chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.  

    Enelamah said “We have had a very success enabling business environment council meeting. It was an expanded meeting where the Chief Justice of Nigeria was there, representative of senate president, Lagos and Kano government and all the key ministers and heads of agencies there.

    “The meeting was a stock taking meeting. We have taken stock what we have achieved already, the journey so far with a plan on the way forward the idea being that we want to have a second round of the national action plan which is is even more ambitious than the first one. We really want to make it easy for people to do business in Nigeria.” he said

    The Secretary of PEBEC, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole said that the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria is collaborating with the council on the subnational project.

    According to her, the council is working with all the states and the FCT in order to make sure that the states are involved.

    She said “We are taking ease of doing business state wise. And we are collaborating widely with the private sector, all state governments, the National Assembly.

    “Again of course. We are going to have an omnibus bill that will wrap up all the irritant but most importantly, we are launching a new 60 day action plan starting from 2nd of October running to the 30th of November and we are going to have the press pack that will contain all the reforms that all the MDAs are going to be working on.

    “It’s going to be a very exciting time and we are looking forward to tangible deliverables for the Nigerian people.

    “We are targeting SMEs. We want the business climate to be simpler; you don’t need to know anybody to do business effectively in Nigeria. Larger companies ally of the time have different kinds of problems, we want systemic change for small and medium size enterprises. We had the acting DG of NAfDEC, DG of SON, we had heads of police, immigration, customs, ports authority, the airport, the judiciary.

    “We had the Chief Justice of the federation attend the PEBEC meeting for the first time. These are all the ingredients plus a strong representation from the private sector that makes sure that the collaborative exercise works very powerfully to deliver impactful reforms for the Nigerian people.” she added

    Senator Bala Ibin Na’allah, who represented the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said that the National Assembly will not fail to support moves to ease doing business In Nigeria.

    He said ‘In interim report of PEBEC, the National Assembly got green for compliance with all the commitment we have made as our contribution on to the ease of doing business.

    ‘We the only arm of government that got full green for full implementation of whatever commitment we gave as a National Assembly facilitating the project for enabling business environment in Nigeria.” he added

    Chika Emodi, MD/CEO of National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria described the meeting as very productive.

    “A lot do work has been done and is beginning to show. There is no doubt that we have a commitment on the part of government and we are very optimistic about how this will translate to a better business environment for the country.”

  • Osinbajo to attend 2017 National Insurance Conference

    Osinbajo to attend 2017 National Insurance Conference

    Mr. Shola Tinubu, Chairman, Planning Committee, 2017 National Insurance Conference (NIC), said on Tuesday that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo would declare open the three-day conference to begin on July 9.

    Tinubu, who made this known at a press briefing in Lagos, said that the conference would hold at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja.

    He said the conference was aimed at removing all inhibitions against growing insurance business in Nigeria.

    “It is insurance practitioners and stakeholders’ pleasure to applaud the Federal Government for the all policy directions, especially against the backdrop of the nation’s recessive economy.

    “There was the dire need for a reversal of the economic trend, and the Federal Government through the promotion and exportation of local products and policies, is gradually leading the economy out of recession.

    “Also, worthy of commendation is the three years Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) from 2017-2020,” he said.

    Tinubu said the 2017 conference with the theme: “Nigeria Open for Business”, was apt in view of the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business Initiatives (EDBI).

    He noted that the EDBI was spearheaded by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

    Tinubu said that this year’s conference would be the third since the conception of the Insurance Industry Consultative Council (IICC) in 2015.

    He said the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kevin Adeosun, would be the Chairman of the technical session of the conference while the Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Mohammed Kari, would be the chief host.

    “Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Tony Elumelu Foundation, will be discussing the theme paper with the aim of making delegates to draw from the speaker’s enormous exposure and experience in the nation’s financial services sector.

    “Discussants include Dr. Joseph Nanna,  Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria;  and Alhaji Kyari Bukar, Executive Secretary of Nigeria Economic Summit Group,  among others,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that IICC is the amalgamation of all the constituent arms of the insurance industry.

    It includes the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) and Institute of Loss Adjusters of Nigeria (ILAN), while the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria serves as the coordinating arm.

  • Presidential panel ratifies two days for new business registration

    The Presidential Ease of Doing Business panel has reduced the number of days required for registration of new businesses in Nigeria from 10 to two days.

    The panel also approved 24-hour timeline for company registration from when application form was completed and all required documents made available.

    Those were among highlights of a report presented at a Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), on Monday at the Presidential Villa.

    The report was presented by Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Trade and Investment and came as reforms targeting the end of the 60-day Action Plan on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.

    According to the recommendations prospective business owners can now search on Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) portal   (www.cac.gov.ng) to avoid duplication of names and prevent selection of prohibited names.

    Also it is now optional for SMEs to hire lawyers to prepare registration documents for companies.

    The Council, established by President Muhammadu Buhari, is chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    However, Monday’s meeting was chaired by Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, as the Vice President was busy with the work of the Presidential Investigative Panel set up for two top government officials.

    According to the report, CAC has introduced single incorporation form (CAC1.1) to save time and reduce costs while the agency has introduced document upload interface on its website to enable e-submission of registration documents.

    Other aspects of the reforms actualized in the last 60 days include the Integrated FIRS e-payment solution into CAC portal to enable e-stamping while the reform empowers CAC internal lawyers to certify company incorporation forms and conduct statutory declaration of compliance for just N500.

    According to the report, the PEBEC listed “dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit and paying taxes,” as some of the areas where the council recorded progress in the past 60 days.

    The report also highlighted the completed reforms on the “Entry and Exit of People,” indicator which includes Simplified Visa-on-Arrival process, Infrastructural improvements at the Abuja airport, and the new Immigration Regulation 2017.

    It also indicated that the completed reforms were being closely monitored to ensure diligent implementation with minimal disruption while pending reforms were being escalated to ensure completion in the coming weeks.

    On Trading across Borders, some of the completed reforms include palletisation of imports, advanced cargo manifests, reduction in documentation requirements and scheduling of Joint Physical Examination by the Customs Service.

    The National Action Plan contained initiatives and actions implemented by responsible Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the National Assembly, a number of State Governments, as well as some private sector stakeholders.

    The Council emphasised that with the conclusion of implementation of the Action Plan, it would move into the next phase.

    That phase would involve “deepening existing reforms; completing and implementing pending initiatives; engaging with the public; validating completed reforms and kicking-off medium-term reforms.”

    The Council would also begin “sub-national reforms across Nigeria’s 36 states; trading within Nigeria; initiatives and reforms improving business processes and regulations within Nigeria; and ease of movement of goods within and across regions in Nigeria.”

    Ministers at the meeting included Foreign Affairs Ministers Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of State for Industry Trade and Investment Aisha Abubakar, and her counterpart in Budget and National Planning Zainab Ahmed.

    Other government functionaries at the meeting included the Head of Service, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, and several heads of MDAs.

  • FG eases documentation procedures at seaports

    The Federal Government, through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), has approved the reduction of documentation procedures of imports and exports in Nigerian ports.

    Mr Anthony Ayalogu, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs and Desk Officer in charge of Ease of Doing Business, disclosed this at a two-day sensitisation workshop on Ease of Doing Business Reform held on Thursday in Ikeja, Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop is meant to help improve Nigeria’s ranking in the World Bank’s Doing Business Index in 2018.

    Ayalogu explained that documentation of imports had reduced from 14 to eight stages, while export documentation had reduced from 10 to seven.

    According to him, Cargo Release Order, Manufacturers’ Certificate of Production, Payment Receipt of Customs Fee; among others, have been removed from documentation.

    Ayalogu said the new imports and exports procedures include: palletising all containerised consignments coming into Nigeria for easy clearance.

    He said: “Used spare parts must be packed in cases and the cases would be packed in pallets.

    “The packing list of the containers must be itemised as the goods are arranged in the containers.

    “Vehicles imports should have the complete 17 digits Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) inscribed on the Bill of Lading. All form `M’ goods should have the Form `M’ number stated on the Bill of Lading.

    “All diplomatic goods should be indicated on the Bill of Lading,’’ he said.

    Dr Jumoke Oduwole, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, had earlier said trading across borders involved obtaining credits, paying taxes and having access to electricity supply.

    According to her, these are key indices of the reforms initiated by PEBEC.

    Oduwole said the reform was basically to transform Nigeria to a progressive and easier place of doing business and to move the country 20 steps ahead in ranking in terms of ease of doing business.

    She also said that PEBEC had implemented an upgrade of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) online portal to ensure document upload capabilities.

    Oduwole said this would create room for new businesses to be fully registered online without having to visit the CAC office.

    “The PEBEC is supported by a small-scale task force responsible for driving the reform agenda and ensuring implementation across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    “Nigeria ranked 169 out of 190 on Doing Business Ranking of the World Bank. In trading across borders, is a worse indicator as Nigeria ranks 182 out of 190.

    “This administration has taken it upon itself to work with government agencies to introduce palletised containers of imports,’’ Oduwole said.

    She said that the whole idea is to make business more convenient for processing of both exports and imports.

    Mr Sule Alu, an Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Tariffs and Trade, said the forum was meant to improve Customs mandate on trade facilitation.

    Alu said that the idea of the reform was to engage stakeholders in the operations of “Ease of Doing Business’’.

    He said that the reform was a holistic approach which needed everyone’s participation for government to achieve its mandate of reducing the time of doing business at the ports.

    Also speaking, the Customs Area Comptroller, Tin-Can Island Customs Command, Comptroller Umar Bashar, urged both Customs officers and stakeholders to continue to display transparency in cargo clearance processes.

    Bashar said that before now, cargo were palletised but now nobody cares about how the cargo would be processed until the consignments were damaged before getting to the ports of destination.

    “We are giving opportunities to the shipping companies to just dump cargo in Nigerian ports because we do not care about world best practices.

    “Ease of Doing Business is all about transparency, integrity of data and having the love of the country at heart,’’ Bashar said.

    The controller, however, implored stakeholders to improve on training in order to spend less time on cargo clearance.

     

  • CAC introduces 24-hour company registration process

    CAC introduces 24-hour company registration process

    The Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC),  Mr Mahmud Bello, says the commission has started operating 24 hours company registration process to make startup of business easier in Nigeria.

    Bello said this at the CAC Customers’ Forum in Kano, organised in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

    The registrar-general made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja

    He said that the aim of operating the new system was to ensure that business owners in Nigeria conveniently registered their businesses online within 48 hours.

    According to him, series of reforms has been implemented by the commission this year to make it quicker, cheaper and more convenient for Nigerians to start businesses.

    “CAC, as an agency of government involved in the startup of business, has keyed into the Federal Government’s vision to make Nigeria an easier place for businesses to start and thrive.

    “Our reforms are designed with the MSMEs in mind. For us, a customer is a king and must be treated with royalty,” Bello said.

    Bello said that manual application and registration processes would be gradually phased out in the course of the year.

    According to him, the manual registration phase out will  start with Lagos and Kano as from April 30, where all submissions should be done online.

    Also, the  Secretary of PEBEC, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said the council was committed to providing complete support to CAC and all other MDAs to implement the reforms.

    According to Oduwole, the reform is to actualise the Federal Government’s mandate of making businesses work in Nigeria.

    The high point of the event was a demonstration session by the commission on its latest reforms such as document upload Interface which enabled e-submission of registration documents in CAC registration Portal.

    The demonstration also involves the integration of the FIRS e-payment solution into the portal to enable e-stamping.

    Accordingly, the participants were given a walk-through of the public search window and the single incorporation form.

  • Why Americans are not doing business in Nigeria – US Envoy

    Why Americans are not doing business in Nigeria – US Envoy

    United States Consul General in Lagos, John Bray has said lack of access to foreign currency and inconsistency of duty payments are some of the reasons why Americans refrain from doing business in Nigeria.

    He said though Americans see the Nigerian market as massive, young and growing, but lack of transparency with government and inadequate infrastructure to support value change scare potential investors from doing business in the country.

    The US Envoy also listed the ever rising and unpredictable energy cost and security concerns for its personnel and investments as some other challenges that inhibit his country from doing business here.

    Bray, who has served as consul general in Lagos for over a year, spoke Tuesday during the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) business dialogue with the theme: Improving the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria, where he gave these as reason why Nigeria rates an “intolerably low” 169 of the 190 countries on the World Bank Index of Ease of doing Business Rating.

    The Envoy however lauded the Federal Government Recovery and Growth Plan initiative as a one-stop shop whose success will be determined by executing its plan and a common resolve and commitment of government and civil societies to work together in new and innovative ways.

    “I can promise the US Government will be Nigeria’s biggest cheerleader and we will be available with ideas, programmes, and media connections to strengthen Nigeria’s economy.

    “We at the Lagos Consulate and Embassy in Abuja know of these challenges and tend to sit on the positive side of this pendulum. We know that the challenges are small and Nigeria has the talent, resources and ability to fix all these problems I have mentioned.

    “Have actionable ideas and know that you don’t need to solve the problems all at once, but start with something manageable,” he added.

    On his part, NACC President Olabintan Famutimi noted that as a bilateral chamber, it is ever ready to mobilise investments from the US to Nigeria and attract prospective investors and enable Nigeria attain her potentials in the comity of nations.

    He however commended government for establishing the Enabling Business Environment Council geared towards improving Nigeria’s poor ranking on the global ease of doing business index and the upgrade of the Corporate Affairs Commission online portal to ensure document upload capabilities.

    On inconsistency in government policies, Famutimi said: “Onerous regulations, multiple taxes and unfriendly government officials can divert the energies of entrepreneurs from developing businesses.”

    He also said government has not demonstrated integrity and has been most notorious in failing to pay its debt and honouring contractual obligations.

    President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, who gave the keynote address, lamented the retrogressive ranking of Nigeria’s index from 94th position in 2006 to 169.

    Reeling out various factors responsible for the decline in service delivery, he noted that Nigerians services are not service oriented but, bureaucratic ineffective and inaccessible.

    The Stock Exchange boss said though there is a 20 percent improvement in tax payments and a 4 percent increase in electricity supply, trading across borders and other aspects of the economy is regressively poor.

    He called for a massive paradigm shift and a change in the attitude and capability of those at the gates and public servants as a necessary means of changing Nigeria’s ease of doing business ranking.

    Giving an insight into the thrust of government policy behind the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) model, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole called for strong political will of leaders; interministerial collaboration and the cooperation of Millennium Development Agencies.

     

  • Foreign investors: NIS unviels online ‘visa on arrival’ platform

    The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced the introduction of a liberalised online Visa on Arrival (VOA) facility to the public, especially foreign investors willing to invest in Nigeria.

    The Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mr Muhammad Babandede, made the announcement on Thursday in Abuja.

    Babandede said that‎ the measure was part of the resolution of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) aimed at attracting foreign investors to the country.

    “‎As a critical member of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), the NIS has automated its visa application and processing services at all entry points.

    “This is to ensure that all genuine requests for Visa on Arrival facility from any part of the world are processed and issued within 48 hours (two working days),” he said.

    He explained that the‎ online VOA application and processing facility is a product of robust visa reforms regime intended to bring Nigeria in tandem with global best practices and attract  Foreign Direct Investors and skilled professionals into the country.

    The controller-general said that the new process was‎ designed to eliminate all unnecessary bureaucratic visa processing procedures in Nigerian Missions abroad.

    He said it was also to serve the interests of would-be visitors from countries where Nigeria does not have a Mission.‎

    He said that‎ ‎a dedicated e-mail address oa@nigeriaimmigration.gov.ng had been deployed where visa applicants, their representatives or companies could forward their requests and details.

    Babandede said that‎ a‎pplicants were advised to use functional e-mail addresses where copies of approval letter shall be forwarded upon a successful process and payment.‎

    ‎”‎Applicants are, however, to note that successful payment online is not an approval and should not proceed to Nigeria until you have received “Visa on Arrival Approval letter” duly issued by the NIS Headquarters, Abuja,” he added.‎

    He said that a VOA desk had been opened at all international airports in the country where visas would be issued upon the presentation of all the necessary travel documents and evidence of visa payment.

    The NIS boss expressed optimism that the VOA process and the introduction of the harmonised arr‎ival and departure cards would go a long way in attracting investors to the country.