BENIN CITY – Manufacturers on Tuesday in Benin City, the Edo State capital, lauded the ongoing reform initiatives of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration and pledged their support for the state government.
Chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Edo/Delta Branch, Dr. Alofoje Unuigboje, who led members of the association on a courtesy visit to the Edo State Governor, noted that the ease of doing business in the state has greatly improved.
“The ease of doing business in Edo State has improved considerably. The desilting activities on Ugbowo-Uselu axis and other locations in Benin City are appreciated.
The disappearance of the ‘ocean’ at Okhoro/New Lagos Road crossroad has improved traffic situation considerably and saves cost of vehicle repairs,” Unuigboje said.
The association applauded the rural/urban dichotomy in Land Use Charge and advised that “it should be sustained to assist rural development and stem rural-urban drift.”
It urged the state government to sustain her focus on developing science and technology, which it described as “the sub-stream on which industrialisation rests,” amongst other recommendations.
In his remark, the Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, assured the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) that his administration would continue to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the state.
The governor told his guests that the he was committed to developing the infrastructure that would attract foreign and local investors, adding that the completion of the Benin River Port and the Benin Industrial Park is top priority to his administration.
Obaseki said: “My administration has done well by eradicating private tax collectors from the state. This has also increased the Internally Generated Revenue of the state.
“The easy way to creating jobs for our people is for government to ensure that an enabling environment is created for businesses to boom. In the area of tax collection, the good news is that we have now introduced the use of technology in all the local government areas of the state.”
On infrastructure, he assured that “Our goal as a government is to continue to rehabilitate and reconstruct roads that will connect all parts of the state and serve as major channels for the distribution of goods.”
“As part of making Edo State more viable, a very transparent and procurement process has been put in place, such that all government procurements are listed and matched with local producers,” he said.
