From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
The Federal Government has reiterated its resolve to ensure the establishment and growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Mohammad Bello who disclosed this on Thursday in Akure at a stakeholders’ resolution retreat organised by the FCT Internal Revenue Service, said all hands are on deck to promote SME and also improve the Internally Generated Revenue of the FCT
The retreat which focused on harmonisation of revenue and ease of doing business in the Federal Capital Territory had participants drawn from both private and public sectors.
The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in charge of the ministry, Mr Olusade Adesola, said the programmes included
the implementation of a digital platform for the issuance of permits, licenses and approvals known as the FCT Business Portal.
He explained that the digital platform would allow businesses and individuals to apply for and receive all necessary permits and licenses online, without the need for physical visits to government offices.
“He said we are working to streamline and simplify regulations and procedures for business registration, property registration, and land use planning.
“These reforms will help to create a more transparent, predictable, and efficient regulatory environment for businesses,” he added..
While calling for the support of stakeholders for the realization of the ministry’s dream, the Minister stressed that none of the reforms could be successful without the support and cooperation of all the stakeholders.
Also, he stressed the need for active participation and engagement of businesses, investors, and civil society organisations to ensure that the reforms are effective, inclusive and sustained.
“The critical components of our efforts to create a more prosperous, inclusive and sustainable Capital Territory for all can only be achieved by working together. We can overcome the challenges we face and build a brighter future for the FCT and its residents,” the Minister said.
Declaring the retreat open, Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu described revenue generation as critical and crucial to sustainable socioeconomic development of any society, especially in a developing economy.
Akeredolu, who was represented by Mr Wale Akinterinwa, the state Commissioner for Finance, said that the Akeredolu-led Administration met a politically motivated tax system and a non- functioning Board of Internal Revenue
“Today, we can boldly say that we have changed the Internally Generated Revenue of narratives of the state without introducing extra burden on our citizens,” the governor said.
The Executive Chairman, FCT-IRS, Mr Haruna Abdullahi, said that the vision of the body was to establish a world-class revenue collection system in the FCT that is transparent, accountable, and efficient.
Yaya also explained that the aim of FCT-IRS was to achieve this by creating a single, unified platform and dashboard that will enable us to track and monitor all revenue generated in the FCT.