As part of the measures put in place to promote businesses in the state, Enugu state Government through the Enugu state Investment Development Authority (ESIDA) Tuesday,3rd and Wednesday 4Th December, sensitized Organised private sector and professional bodies , respectively on 2025 Enugu State Business Reforms Action Plan(BERAP) .
The ESIDA disclosed that the state has introduced the consolidated demand notice system for payments
Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer, Enugu State Investment Development Authority and state focal person on State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, made that known at the workshop held at ECCIMA Secretariat, Enugu.
Pix: Dr. Sam Ogbu- Nwobodo, MD/CEO ,ESIDA
He said the workshop was to enlighten the public on the business reforms and to get their feed back on the 2024 reform implementation.tbe Chief Executive said they were trying to see a system where technology rules . Whereby one can walk into an office and get services without knowing anybody.
On consolidated payment system,, Ogbu said it was part of the eight action plans that the state had set through the BERAP of this year (2024) which was approved by the State Executive Council to now consolidate those business related levies and fees regardless of which agency is charging it .
He explained that the consolidated system will bring to an end multiple taxation, because people have payments they are going to make in one document and know off hand that at the beginning of the year, this is what they are going to pay.
He disclosed that the state had not increased rates or taxes but had brought together all the fees.” The state had blocked leakages in the system, minimized tax evasion ,” Ogbu- Nwobodo said.
He expressed satisfaction with the feedback they got from the participants , assuring that they were going to build it into the Reform plan.
Pix: Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, MD/CEO ,ESIDA
Pix: Patticipants
Speaking with newsmen, the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Enugu state chapter , Comrade Fabian Nwigbo said the essence of the workshop was to inform the people about reforms that relate to ease of doing business in Enugu state,
He said there were benefits to be gotten from the reforms . They included incentives , opportunities that are available to the investors and consolidated fees.
” Today is no longer like the old regime where the Business premises will come, ESWAMA will come, many people will come, you don’t even know who you are paying to and what you are paying for All these fees had been consolidated . There is a website where you go to.
“Board of internal revenue would have to send a demand notice that comprises all these fees you have to pay and once you pay all these one off charges nobody will come to molest you that ,you did not pay this, you did not pay that.It is going to go a long way in helping the business community on the State” Nwigbo said.
He said he had not gone through the consolidated demand notice to know whether rates were increased or not, noting that the good thing is that when someone pays, he knows who he pays the money . ” It is flexible. Payment can be made installmentally ,” Nwigbo said.
Pix: Comrade Nwigbo ,NLC Chairman, crew
He added that the NLC will take the information gotten at the workshop home to enlighten others about the reforms of ease of doing business in Enugu.
Comrade Nwigbo commended the Organizers of the program and urged them to invite more people inext time they hda workshop like that ,so that more people r do will be enlightened on what the government is doing .
Pix: Consultant, David Uzosike
On his part, the Resource person , David Uzosike, a Consultant at Drakkevista Global Services , said the workshop was for them to get a feedback from the participants, know areas they had done well and areas they did not do well and build on it, incorporate it into the plans they already had.
On the Action plans, Uzosike said the action plans were many and they were looking at how to improve land registration and building permit processes where People will have assets like lands they don’t have titles.
“The plan is to make sure that title process is transparent. It includes the timeline. So, when people get titled document, they can use it for funding . We also encourage them to register their businesses. So the plan is to make registration process easy. The plan is for transparency of information and efficient delivery,” he said
Participants commended the state government for organizing the workshop. They appealed to the government to address the issue of multiple taxation , the purchasing tax paid at shopping malls which is also VAT, the issue of insecurity which affects farmers at the farm ,smong others..
A participant , Mrs Ejim Olivia, a Rice amd cassava farmer/ processor, complaint about ministry of Transport, MOT personnel that collect Levies from transporters for not purchasing tickets in the morning. hours. She said she fell victim of such and appealed to the state government to sensitize the public on that so that they know about that and not to be taken unawares
She commended the state government for introducing Forest guards and Rangers who guard their farms .
There was a presentation by Bank of Industry on how funds could be accessed.
Author: Maureen Ikpeama