Uche Henry
The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), has launched a Web-based Mobile App platform for ease of doing business in Nigeria.
Speaking at the 3rd Regulatory Conversation put together in Lagos by the Convention on Business Integrity (GTE) in collaboration with ActionAid -UK Aid, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said the Mobile App was designed to resolve issues encountered by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government in addressing challenges business operators encounter in the business chain in other to facilitate the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
Oduwole said the App which is available on Google Play store is a gift to Nigerians to enable businessmen and women to lodge in their complaints and get feedback within 72 hours, saying that such interactive session would enable the Federal Government get statistics on what is happening in the business environment through feedbacks from business men and women.
She added that the App is the voice of Nigerians whose data at the end of every month would be used to publish the “5 best agencies” as well as the “5 worse agencies “ for everyone to see and know organisations that are doing well and those doing otherwise.
“The App is a way of getting feedback from the private sector on issues affecting them, so we need to hear from Nigerians businesses through this App, while we keep working hard to ensure Standards Operating system (SOS) are adhered and people get their desired services,” she stressed.
On enhancing integrity and transparency in the business sphere, she said it’s PEBEC’s resolve to make sure public and civil servants adhere to service level agreement and transparency in schedules and time to ensure discipline across business chain in Nigeria.
“This App is part of innovations of PEBEC so we call for synergy from all government relevant agencies and the private sector to make this plans actionable in line with Executive Order One (EO1) of federal government to promote transparency and efficiency in the business environment.
Reacting to the presentation, the Assistant Controller General, Nigeria Customs Service, ACG Keycee Ekekezie, warned that only business men and women who comply with the laws of doing business in Nigeria would get their business challenges resolved within the timeframe, adding that businessmen who do not comply with business laws of the Federal Government must do the needful before getting the desired feedback from the PEBEC Web-based Mobile App Platform.
The South West zonal Coordinator, NCS, also decried the lack of functional scanners at the ports saying that such deficiency has remained a clog in the wheel of import and export businesses at the ports. She however reiterated the Controller General’s committment to make available new and functional scanners.
“We don’t have functional scanners to do our job which has caused delays and overhead cost for business men and women, howbeit, we are hopeful of fixing the challenge.” she said.