Lagos State Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday said that the State would continue to create the enabling environment for more businesses to grow.
Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance at the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency Engagement with the Business Community, in Lagos.
Represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning of Budget, Mr Samuel Egube, Sanwo-Olu commended the stakeholders’ efforts in promoting enforcement of the state Procurement Law and implementation of policies.
“The recent development of e-Procurement Solution Modules by the agency to three pilot ministries – Health, Education and Works and Infrastructure – is part of the efforts of the state government at enhancing our policy of ease of doing business and improving accountability and transparency in government transactions.
“To achieve this objective, the state government must enter into contractual relationships with members of the business community, some of whom are gathered here today.
” Indeed, members of the business community have a critical role to play in facilitating the delivery of the state government’s programmes and projects since they constitute the vehicle through which many of the programmes are executed and delivered to the citizenry,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Dr Rabiu Olowo, the state Commissioner for Finance, said the objective of the agency was to create an avenue for interaction and exchange of ideas between the government and members of the business community.
Olowo, also the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Lagos State Procurement Agency, said that other aims of the programme was to enhance the public procurement process and strengthen the Government to Business (G2B) relationship.
He said that the agency recognised the important role members of the business community played in ensuring successful implementation of the Procurement Law of the state.
“It is imperative the we regularly interface and interact with key stakeholders, particularly members of the business community to ensure absolute and continuous procurement process compliance by all parties that transact with Lagos State Government.
“As a government, we are not unmindful, that our ability to meet the needs and aspirations of the citizenry whom the government was elected to serve, will depend largely on how we are able to effectively and efficiently manage the resources at our disposal.
“The present administration is committed to the service of the people, ensure their welfare and wellbeing; we have no choice, but to ensure that the resources available to government are judiciously applied for the provision of public goods and services,” Olowo said.
In a goodwill message, the Chairman of the state House of Assembly Committee on Procurement, Mr Noheem Adams, said that Sanwo-Olu trip to China recently was to attract foreign investors was one of his administrations numerous strides to boost the Lagos economy.
“Only recently, on Nov. 25, 2019, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said that Lagos State was the country’s top investment destination for the third quarter of 2019.
” It emerged as the top destination of capital investment to Q3 2029 with $4,976.40 billion.
“This is a feat that must be sustained and improved upon.
“To achieve that, it becomes imperative to show responsibility in public expenditure through a public procurement process that is in tune with global best practices.
”Public procurement is a tight balance act between cost and quality on one hand and time and compliance on the other hand. It is our responsibility to keep it balance, ” Adams said.
Mr Onafowote Fatai, the General Manager of Lagos State Public Procurement Agency said that Public Procurement as a process would need the input of stakeholders.
According to him, the procurement process involves the state government, local governments, Public Procurement Agency, contractors and suppliers, NGOs, business community, service providers and professional organisations and the general public.
“We recognise that the success of any procurement process requires the input of all mentioned stakeholders. Indeed, a process cannot be complete or deemed satisfactory unless there is the input of all stakeholders.
‘’It is expedient to further enlighten the business community on e-procurement system, as potential bidders and those interested in doing business with the Lagos State Government,’’ he said. (NAN)