Kwara state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq late Monday assented to an Executive Order 001 to ease off many bottlenecks that make doing business cumbersome in the state.
Signed at a dinner for captains of industry and members of the business community in Ilorin, the executive order represents a milestone in the government’s efforts to bolster Kwara’s credentials in the Ease of Doing Business ranking.
The order takes effect from March 31, 2022, a three-month moratorium for the bureaucracies to have enough window to firm up their processes.
The objective is to ease the business climate and attract more investments to the state, the Governor explained, saying he wants the state to be in the top five in the next few years.
A provision of the order requires all MDAs to have service level agreements that clearly explain their processes and state the binding time lines for service delivery to the customers.
“Every MDA of the (government) shall publish a complete list of all requirements or conditions for obtaining products and services within the MDA’s scope of responsibility, including permits, licenses, waivers, tax related processes, filings and approvals,” according to the executive order.
“The list shall –
(a.) include all fees and timelines required for the processing of applications for the products and services; and (b.) be conspicuously pasted on the premises of the relevant MDA and published on its website and the Kwara State Government portal within 21 days from the date of issuance of this Order.
“It shall be the responsibility of the head of the relevant MDA to ensure that the list is verified and kept up-to-date at all times. If there is any conflict between a published and an unpublished list of requirements, the published list shall prevail.
“Where the relevant agency or official fails to communicate approval or rejection of an application within the time stipulated in the published list, all applications for business registrations, certification, waivers, licenses or permits not concluded within the stipulated timeline shall be deemed approved and granted.
“The mode of communication of official decisions to applicants shall be stated in the published requirements.”
The signing drew applauses from the business community and members of the EODB Council in the state, with many describing the action of the Governor as progressive.
“Kwara is known as a civil service state and we want to change that. But the big question is where do we want to be in 2030? The answer to that is we want to be in the top 5 in Nigeria economy-wise. That is a big challenge. How do we get there? It is through our “Ease of Doing Business” strategy and investments in critical infrastructure and human capital development. Once we get that right, investors will come in and investment will flow in,” the Governor said.
The event was well-attended by government officials and creme de la creme from the business community such as House of Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu; Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business Dr. Jumoke Oduwoye; Head of Service Mrs. Susan Modupe Oluwole; cabinet members; Chairperson KWIRS Mrs. Folashade Omoniyi; Group Managing Director of Harmony Holdings Limited Abdullahi AbdulMajeed; Ag. Chairman, KWGIS Abdulmutalib Shittu; former House of Representatives member Hon. Moshood Mustapha; Chairman Mount Olive Nig. Ltd and Olusin of Ijara Isin Oba Ademola Ajibola; Chairman Padson Industry Hezekiah Oladipo Adediji; and KWACCIMA President Olalekan Fatai; among several successful business owners in the state.
Mrs. Omoniyi, in her remarks, said the Service is not just driving revenues but also using the most convenient strategy to achieve results.
She disclosed several programmes the office introduced to bring ease to taxpayers, including self-service portal, online platforms and stand-alone system.
The Harmony Holdings chief said the dinner had been organised to deepen interactions between the government and the business community in the state.
He described the executive order as a prayer answered and a great leap for the government’s efforts to ease the business climate.
Shittu, for his part, said the land administration of the present administration is being made hitch-free to make kwara the go-to place for investors.
The Olusin of Ijara Isin said the peaceful coexistence that Kwara State enjoys is a critical enabler of investment.
He commended the state government for organising the event, urging officials directing the economic policies of the state not to relent in their efforts.
Pa Oladipo Adediji, Chairman Padson Industry, said Kwara is one of the few states that are friendly to business community.
