By Onwa Ekor
The Director-General, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, has commended Cross River, for being a leading state that achieved the year one deliverables in the State Action on Business Enabling Environment (SABER).
Audu made the commendation in Calabar, the Cross River capital, during PEBEC nationwide tour which also featured engagement with private sector, business community as well as technical session with some relevant government agencies.
Represented by the PEBEC Reform leader in the Office of the Vice President, Ms Kris Ekanem, the D-G said, “we just concluded the year one verification which will tell different states if they have achieved their deliverables for the year one SABER program and from the report sheets, Cross River did very well.”
“Cross River is one of the top states that achieved the year one deliverables maximally, that is one thing we commend the State.
“The SABER program is a- three year program and each year, there is a deliverable that the state is supposed to achieve,” Audu disclosed
“The reason for this,” she added, “is that, when they achieve it, the money that is allocated to that deliverable can be given to the state.”
Continuing, Audu pointed out that, “we have eight Disbursement Link Indicators (DLIs), and Cross River was able to meet over five DLIs, so Cross River is qualified and will be getting the money allocated to that because the State achieved the deliverables set for year one.”
State Reform champion and Accountant General of Cross River, Dr. Glory Effiong, applauded the governor, Prince Bassey Otu, for creating a business friendly environment, a feat she maintained, has continued to draw influx of investors into the state.
According to Effiong, “In 2022, Cross River was 35th position, but for the current report from PEBEC, the State is leading in the country, so we have left a stage where Cross River was a civil service state to where everyone is busy enterprising,” adding that, “anything you want to do in the state that is legitimate, we are here to support you.”
She listed some of the rare qualities that has eased doing business in the state to include, transparency, unhindered land acquisition for intensive agricultural use, smooth getting of redress from any breach in contractual agreement, establishment of small claim courts with reports published online, among others.
Effiong who disclosed that the present administration led by Otu wants a healthy environment and a serene business environment for small and medium enterprises to thrive, also assured that, issues of multiple taxation which posed as challenge in the past has been handled through harmonization of taxes with improved security architecture.
It would be recalled that PABEC was established in July 2016 by former President Muhammadu Buhari and the Council had the Vice President as the head, alongside some ministers, the CBN governor and other top government officials, with mandate to improve ease of doing business across the states, through the removal of bureaucratic and legislative irritants.
Highpoint of the event was panel discussions were Reform challenges and opportunities including feedback from private sector stakeholders were analyzed.
