Sikirat Shehu
Business community in Kwara State can begin to heave a sigh of relief of conducive environment to thrive with the state government hinted its plan to issue an executive order for ease of doing business in the state.
The State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, made this known while declaring open the eight Kwara Trade Fair; organized by Kwara Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KWACCIMA), with the theme “Trade Beyond Borders”.
According to Abdulrazaq, the plan of the present administration was to change the status of Kwara among its peers from being a civil service state to a state built on enterprise.
He added that his administration was taking a cursory look at issues pertaining to ease of doing business and would soon roll out comprehensive reform for businesses to be stress free.
The Governor equally disclosed that his government was preoccupied with building a state that survives on enterprise rather than waiting solely on handout, adding that the government had invested in infrastructure and provide measures to stimulate the state’s economy and in turn attract investors.
He declared that no government could claim to have succeeded without the support of the private sector, adding that his administration counts on the private sector to work collaboratively.
Abdulrazaq, thanked private sector owners in the state for creating jobs through their companies and factories, saying that it was left to the government to create an environment to make them thrive in their respective endeavours.
“All issues associated with ease of doing business are being looked into, and very soon, we will roll out comprehensive reform to make doing business super and stress free in Kwara State. This will be contained in an executive order with some measures in this regard.
“As a government, our most important agenda is to build a state, which survives on enterprise with zero reliance on handout from the centre. For this reason, we are investing in infrastructure and opening supportive measures to investors in business.
“In addition to our investment in visual and entertainment economy through the innovation hub and visual arts centre, we are also establishing an industrial park as well as construction of the International conference centre, which will also be an exhibition centre”, he said.
In her submission, Arinola Lawal, the state Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, noted that though trade fairs were held in the past, the eight edition was unique because it was driven with the desires for innovation and exposure of the government with its moral and financial support to make it a befitting and qualitative trade of International standard.
Olalekan Fatai Ayodimeji, the KWACCIMA President, commended the Governor for moving public sector to private sector and called for the provision of the permanent trade fair stand so as to grow the state economy.
Also, Abu Salami, the second Deputy President of KWACCIMA, posits that the state government had demonstrated its readiness to grow the state’s economy.
“We recognize the fact that your economic and infrastructural support policies since inception of your administration so far, leave no one in doubt your plan to boost the growth of businesses in Kwara State and KWACCIMA as the official mouthpiece of the business community in this state has started partnering with you and shall continue partnering with you”, he said.