By Franklin Alli

The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, has flayed non-representation of a member of the Organised Private Sector, OPS, on the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC.

The OPS is made up of MAN, NACCIMA, NECA, NASME and NASSI. Chief Bassey Edem, NACCIMA President,expressed the feeling of members while fielding questions from journalists in Lagos on ‘Ease of Doing Business.’ He lauded government for having set up the Council, but noted “There is no private sector person on the Council.”

He added: “Who is going to advise them? If a private sector is on the Council, he will be able to advice them and say, for instance, ‘This is where it is pinching us, and this is what should be done.”

Recall that earlier this year, President Muhammadu Buhari established the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), and it’s supporting Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES).

Vanguard learned that the PEBEC was set up by the Federal Government to lead the reform project that will help the country achieve its aspiration and is to report to the Federal Executive Council on a monthly basis.

The Council is chaired by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo while the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah serves as Vice Chair.
PEBEC is comprised of nine Ministers, the Head of Service and CBN Governor. PEBEC meets frequently to provide coordination across the implementing ministries and bottleneck challenges.

According to Jumoke Oduwole, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, the Federal Government is focusing on critical infrastructure; both hard and soft, particularly trade facilitation, quality infrastructure and Ease of Doing Business Reforms.

She spoke on the occasion of public –private dialogue on ports efficiency and maritime sector roadmap, organized recently by Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry / Financial Derivative Council, FDC.

She stated that to improve Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria, particularly trading across borders are of high priority in the present administration’s reform efforts.

“It is now a trite fact that there is a strong correlation between the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ ranking of a country and its economic prosperity. We know that a friendly investment climate fosters productive private investment (both domestic and foreign), industrialization, and competitiveness and export trade – key tools for the engine of growth and poverty reduction. It creates opportunities and jobs for people and is the key to sustainable development.”