Representative of Bauchi State Governor, his deputy Auwal Jatau, declaring the workshop open
From George Coben, Bauchi
The workshop organized by the Bauchi State action on business enabling reforms in conjunction with the presidential enabling business environment council, PEBEC, was held Wednesday at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Conference Center, Bauchi.
Also referred to as town hall meeting, the workshop was themed, “Business-Enabling Reforms and Investment Competitiveness”.
Participants were businessmen and women, entrepreneural youths, and investors, with locally manufactured powdered products made from date palms, tiger nuts, rice flour, fonio grains (acha), zobo powder, and dry soya milk powder, among others, on display.
Declaring the workshop open, Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, represented by his deputy, Auwal Jatau, who is the Chairman, state ease of doing business council, reeled out achievements made so far by the government in furtherance of ease of doing business to attract investments to the state.
He said that since 2022 the state has deliberately moved from intent to impact, as it has enacted and gazetted the Bauchi State business enabling reform zone, harmonized taxes and levies to end multiple taxation.
The Governor said that government launched the ease of doing business charter binding MDAs to service delivery and concretized the Bauchi State investment promotion law to strenghten the agency as a full one stop center for investors.
“We have further made considerable effort to ensure process automation and promote transparency of our processes. Specifically, we have digitalized business registration and construction permit processes.
“We have conducted the Bauchi State economic and investment summit that attracted multitude of investors to the state.
“We have promoted the digital archiving of C of O in accordance with international best practice,” Governor Mohammed explained.
While saying that the state level PPP has been strenghtened with amended legal constitutional framework, including guidelines, manuals and PPP disclosure portal to attract investments, the Governor further explained that the investment promotion agency has linked investors with partner and supportive credit institutions, and has adopted an aftercare and retention program.
Governor Mohammed who described the occasion as an opportunity provided to validate achievements recorded and highlight the gaps also desired inputs from the private sector’s live experiences as true key performance indicators to measure government’s pre-determined targets.
He said that government seeks to ensure that abundant potentials in all sectors of the economy are harnessed toward experiencing inclusive development, adding that “we have developed a 10-year perspective plan that go beyond the current regime which provides a roadmap for defining a prosperous economic trajectory for citizens”.
Governor Mohammed thanked the federal government for the leadership, the private sector for its resilience and sustained partnership, assuring that government will keep its side of every budget it makes, adding that with the cooperation of all, the state will go beyond the much that have been achieved between 2019 and 2026, to the position where enterprise is easy, fair and rewarding.
Earlier in her remarks, the Bauchi state commissioner of budget, economic planning and multi-lateral coordination, Hajiya Amina M. Katagum, described the occasion as a demonstration of collective commitment in improving governance, strenghtening adaptability, enhancing service delivery, and fostering sustainable development for the people.
On her own part, the DG PEBEC, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu gave an overview of the council and the nationwide sub-national engagement tour, virtually.
