Edo Rallies Stakeholders to Improve Ease of Doing Business, Tackle Multiple Taxation

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city

The Edo State Government has restated its commitment to creating a more conducive atmosphere for businesses in the state to thrive, urging the support of all relevant stakeholders to sustain the government’s efforts at enhancing productivity and ensuring economic prosperity for the state.

The state Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of Ease of Doing Business Council, Joseph Eboigbe, stated this yesterday at a one-day high level roundtable of the state Ease of Doing Business Council.

The roundtable was held in Benin-city with the theme: ‘Prioritising Business Enabling Environment Reforms to Enhance Productivity and Inclusive Growth in Edo State’.

The state also launched the Edo State Ease of Doing Business and State Action in Business Enabling Reforms Guidebook.

The commissioner reassured everyone that the government would continue to formulate policies that would support the business community in the state.

Eboigbe said: “The people doing business in Edo State have rated us low in the ease of doing business and this may be due to their experience with the state government’s officials or the local government’s approach to doing the right thing or outright doing the wrong thing.

“This roundtable, therefore, is for us to reflect on our approaches to make the state friendly for investors to do business; our approach to tax revenue collection, especially to avoid any form of multiple taxation, and also boost the levels of interaction between these investors and the government.”

He continued: “The federal government has come up with a national programme, States’ Action for Business Enabling Reforms, to leverage on the gains of the various ease of doing business initiatives of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“Businesses are struggling, hence the governors came together to enhance the business environment because if businesses do not thrive, the few people who are even employed will be laid off.“So, there are deliberate efforts now targeted at removing all the obstacles that impede and constrain business successes both for large and small businesses. Hence, we need to be better informed and reflect on how to make and enforce policies going forward.”

On his part, the Managing Director of Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO), Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi, said the government is committed to improving the ease of doing business in the state.

According to him, “The goal is to be among the first five states in the Presidential Ease of Doing Business ranking from the 34th position we were in the previous ranking earlier this year before the EODB council was inaugurated.”