The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has approved a 60-day national action plan with the aim of aiding business in the country
This resolution was made on Tuesday during the sixth meeting of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) at the State House in Abuja.
The meeting was presided over by Acting President, His Excellency, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
The Council, at the meeting, which lasted for hours, approved a national action plan to be implemented across its three priority areas – 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 SMEs in Nigeria.
The reforms will also help improve Nigeria’s rankings in the World Bank Doing Business Index 2018.
According to the resolution reached during the meeting, the reforms are to be implemented by the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES) which became operational in October 2016 and has Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment (OVP) as its coordinator.
A statement issued at the end of the meeting stated that the Council was also briefed on the forthcoming EBES Stakeholders Engagement Forum scheduled for Kano and Lagos on February 23rd and 24th respectively. The forums are part of steps being taken to receive feedback and ensure widespread adoption of the PEBEC reforms.
The statement added that “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 entry and exit of people, PEBEC observed that the Visa on Arrival and 48-hour Visa processing procedures of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) are already operational with various levels of compliance.”
Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara attended Tuesday’s meeting.
Also in attendance are: Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami as well as the Ministers of Information, Laid Mohammaed, Trade and Investment, Kayode Fayemi Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.
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