The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, explained over the weekend that state governments must improve four reform areas in order to access the World Bank’s $750 million to strengthen the Business Enabling Environment in states.
The Federal Government stated that this is possible through the State Action for Business Enabling Reforms, or SABER, programme.
The Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, listed the areas of reform to include improving land administration and land investment process; improving business enabling infrastructure; increasing sustainable large-scale investments; and enabling firm operations.
Oduwole spoke in Abuja at the presentation of a stage play educating Nigerians and depicting the achievements of ease of doing business initiative.
The play which was partly to commemorate Nigeria’s independence, was also plotted around reforms such as multiple taxations, an automated tax system, quick business registration through automation of registration processes, small claims court set up to entertain small business cases among others
Insights from the play showed that through ease of doing business reforms, business owners would lucidly understand right channels to pay tax; a small claims court has been set up to swiftly handle small claims; and Nigeria has reduced the import and export clearance time by 50 percent.
Oduwole stated the plays were designed to entertain Nigerians, while bringing to light the achievements made by PEBEC.
Facilitated by the PEBEC Secretariat and the World Bank Technical team with support from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, FMFBNP, Home Finance Department and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, Secretariat, the IDA credit is expected to help Nigeria advance the implementation of critical actions that will improve the business enabling environment in states.
“The SABER is a 3-year performance-based intervention jointly designed by the PEBEC Secretariat and the World Bank Technical team with support from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Home Finance Department and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat.
“The programme, which is open to all States and the FCT, cuts across four reform areas with Disbursement Linked Indicators covering improving land administration and land investment process; improving the business enabling infrastructure; increasing sustainable large-scale investments, and enabling firm operations.
“All participating states and the FCT could potentially receive a maximum of $52.5m during the 3-year period.
“There have been extensive engagements with the States by the PEBEC Secretariat and other programme partners to strengthen the programme design and the States capacity to deliver on the expected results” she said.
The PEBEC was established in July 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari to remove critical bottlenecks and bureaucratic constraints to doing business in Nigeria, with His Excellency the Vice President, Professor Osinbajo SAN, GCON, as Chair of the Council.”