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EODB

EASE OF DOING BUSINESS DOING BUSINESS CYCLE 2020: REFORMING NIGERIA AT THE SUBNATIONAL LEVEL

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) was established in July 2016 by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, to remove bureaucratic constraints to doing business in- Nigeria to make the country a progressively easier place to start and grow a business. The Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES) assists ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to implement the reform agenda of the Council.

The EBES collaborates with State Governments and MDAs to reduce the costs, time and number of procedures to make the process of doing business in Nigeria simpler and effective. Over 140 business climate reforms have been implemented in the last three years.

The Subnational Ease of Doing Business Reform Program began in July 2017 with presentations to the National Economic Council (NEC) by the former Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah and the PEBEC Secretary. The Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business also recently updated the NEC on September 19, 2019, with the Council approving PEBEC recommendations on the replication of the PEBEC model across state governments and the nomination of State Reform Champions as arrowheads for EoDB reforms for each State.

Accordingly, we respectfully invite Your Excellency to consider the:

Establishment of a State Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Structure:

The State EoDB structure should enjoy the highest political support, meet monthly and report to the State Executive Council on a quarterly basis. A number of states have had such EoDB Committees chaired by His Excellency, the Governor or His Excellency, the Deputy Governor.

Nomination of State Reform Champion: We also recommend the nomination of a senior level Reform Champion (focal person) to oversee the EoDB project in the State. The official will be responsible for coordinating all subnational efforts on behalf of the State.

COMPOSITION OF STATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON EASE OF DOING BUSINESS

His Excellency, the Deputy

Governor of Katsina State,

Alhaji Mannir Yakubu,FNIQS,

Katsina State,

Katsina. Chairman

  1. Hon. Attorney-General and Commissioner,

For Justice,

Ministry of Justice,

Katsina State,

Katsina. Member

  • Honourable Commissioner,

Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism,

Katsina State,

Katsina. Member

  1. Honourable Commissioner,

Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport,

Katsina State,

Katsina. Member

  1. Honourable Commissioner,

Ministry of Lands and Surveys,

Katsina State,

Katsina. Member

  1. Director General,

Katsina State Investment Promotion Agency (KIPA),

Focal Person, SABER Reform Champion

Katsina. Member

  • Permanent Secretary,

Ministry of Agriculture and N/Resources,

Katsina State,

Katsina. Member

  • Chairman,

Board of Internal Revenue,

Katsina State,

Katsina. Member

  1. Federal Inland Revenue Service,

Katsina State Office,

Katsina. Member

  1. Corporate Affairs Commission,

Katsina State Office,

Katsina. Member

  1. The Comptroller,

Nigeria Customs Service,

Katsina State Command,

Katsina. Member

  • The Commissioner of Police,

Nigeria Police Force,

Katsina State Command,

Katsina. Member

  • Nigeria Immigration Service,

Katsina State Command,

Katsina. Member

  • Governor’s Office,

Katsina State,

Katsina. Secretariat

TERMS OF REFERENCE:

  1. To review steps to be taken to register businesses, construction Permits, registering property, enforcing contracts in all the relevant Federal and State MDAs;
  2. To build the Capacity of the relevant Officers to be able to carry out the new role expected in the reform agenda;
  • To track the reforms and report progress/challenges to the Executive Council;
  1. Propose the necessary reforms capable of easing business in the State for Executive Council approval;
  2. Represent the State on ease of doing business event(s) at the National Level;
  3. To create awareness on the measures taken to ease business in the State;
  • Interface with the business community to effectively mobilizer reforms; receive feedback; and

To coopt any suitable person deemed appropriate as Member of the Committee.

 

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY RT. HON. AMINU BELLO MASARI, CFR, FNIM, DURING THE INAUGURAL CEREMONY OF KATSINA STATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON  EASE OF DOING BUSINESS ON 23RD FEBRUARY, 2021, AT GENERAL MUHAMMADU HOUSE.

Protocol.

I am particularly happy to be with you today on this momentous occasion, the inauguration of the Katsina State Standing Committee on ease of doing business to serve as coordination and policy making Structure for the State Ease of Doing Business.

Members may recall that the Federal Government in  July, 2016 set up a Presidential business enabling  environment Council  Chaired by His Excellency the Vice President Mr. Yemi Osibanjo SAN, and comprises thirteen (13)  Ministers, the Head of the Civil Service of the federation , Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria , Lagos and Kano State Governors to amongst others;

  1. Move Nigeria upwards in the World Bank Doing Business Rankings, Nigeria as at then rank 131 out of 169 economies in the World Bank Doing Rankings;
  2. Remove critical bottlenecks and constraints to doing business in the Country and make Nigeria a progressively easier place to do business.

In line with the World Bank policy guidelines, the Presidential Business Enabling Business Environment Council in collaboration with Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum and National Economic Council mandated all the States to set up a Standing Committee on Ease of doing business  comprising State Council members with following terms of reference;

  1. To review steps to be taken to register businesses, construction permits, registering Properties, enforcing Contracts in all the relevant MDAs;
  2. To build the Capacity of the relevant Officers to be able to carry out the new role expected in the reform agenda;
  • To track reforms and report progress /challenges to the Executive Council;
  1. Propose the necessary reforms capable of easing business in the State for executive Council  approval;
  2. Represent the State on ease of doing business event(s) at the National level;
  3. To create awareness on the measures taken to ease business in the State;
  • Interface with business Community to effectively mobilize reforms, receive feedback; and
  • To co-opt any suitable person deemed appropriate as member of the Committee ;

The Katsina State Government is determined to improve the business environment by reducing the cost of doing business and improving the ease of doing business. We are aware that it is imperative to maintain or improve in these areas in order to have a sustainable and competitive economy.

Our government has thus taken far reaching decision to make Katsina State more Investor friendly.

We are doing so because we are aware of the critical role private sector plays towards wealth creation, job generation and overall economic growth and development of the economy.

Ladies and Gentlemen you may recall that I made the first pronouncement of our intention to establish the One Stop Shop investor facilitation during the maiden Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit. Work began immediately towards the establishment of the critical service.

We, created an office that handled post-summit activities, focused on investment promotion and facilitation, the process through which the Katsina State Investment Promotion Agency was established. Today, we are by the grace of Almighty Allah inaugurating standing committee on Ease of Doing Business.

We took these actions after careful considerations of the yearnings, aspirations and contributions made by the business community from within and outside the State on what the Government should do to simplify administrative procedures for granting of land, registering properties, granting of construction permits, company incorporation and shortening other cumbersome processes in tax payments, thereby removing difficulties faced by the existing and potential Investors ultimately easing the cost of doing business.

Presently, Katsina is ranked fourth (4th) in the ease of doing business by the World Bank. This shows that our ability to provide quality service to the private sector has no doubt been an achievement of significant milestone. We need to improve this community must work hard towards.

The Government in partnership with Skipper Seil is establishing Special Green Industrial Park where Investors will be invited to set up Industries under the assurance of 100% availability of green Power. The Special Economic Zone is located on 800 hectares plot of land along Katsina – Jibia Road.  We have started with 100hectres. Works at the site has reached 20%. It is our hope that the project will Insha Allah be commission 1st quarter of 2022.

On the other hand the Federal Government is establishing Integrated Textile and Garment Park at Funtua. Pre-feasibility studies have been completed on the Project. It is also envisage that the Ground breaking Ceremony will perform in the last quarter of the year. The Committee will coordinate and facilitate with the relevant Ministries, Parastatals and Extra Ministerial departments involved with regulations, registration, permits and licensing.

Officials at the Agency will ensure that we eliminate all forms of bureaucratic bottlenecks, ensure transparent process and continue to improve the service delivery towards achieving the desired objectives.

We are also aware that the committee’s focal person is working closely with Nigeria Presidential Committee on ease of doing business and the World Bank. On our part the committee will continue to work closely with all the relevant MDA’s for the require reforms and value. The success of the Committee will depend on all stakeholders supporting this initiative. We urge most especially the Federal MDA’s, the Police, Customs and Immigration to support the reform process.

Ministries and Departments such as; Agriculture and Natural Resources, Land and Survey, Urban and Regional Planning Development Board, Commerce and Industry, Federal Inland Revenue Services, State Internal Revenue, Corporate Affairs Commission,  Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Ministry of Justice amongst others will be working hand in hand with the Committee.

On your part, as Members of the Committee, your role is not only enamours but also tasking and demanding the considering the associated challenges of the state of the Nation’s economy. It is therefore expected that will you bring your wealth of experience and relationships to bear in the discharge of these responsibilities.  You are expected to bring in new initiative, creativity and friendly policies that will make Katsina State the best place in ease of doing business.

We also expect you to come up with a strategy that will be seemless with clear deliverables and key performance indicators. A road map that will serve as guide to the operators and the private sector, taking into consideration what will create wealth, generate employment and improve the overall economic prosperity of the citizens.

We, therefore seek the corporation and understanding of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Investment Promotion Commission, towards realizing this noble objective.

In the name of ALLAH the omnipotent and Omnipresent, I wish to inaugurate the Standing Committee on Ease of Doing Business.

Thank you and God Bless.