BY: Ikenna Oluka
The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has launched the REPORTGOV.NG App, an official public service feedback and complaints platform to support business climate reforms implemented by the Council since 2016.
The platform, which is also a
website, will facilitate the escalation and resolution of issues encountered
with Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) towards ensuring a more
business-friendly environment.
The app was co-launched by the Honourable Minister, Industry, Trade and
Investment Dr. Okey Enelamah; Chairman, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria,
Mr. Adedotun Sulaiman, MFR; and SSA to the President on Industry, Trade and
Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole at the Regulatory Conversations (RC3.0) event
themed “Improving Transparency and Ease of Doing Business in
Nigeria”, which was hosted by The Convention on Business
Integrity/The Integrity Organisation in collaboration with ActionAid, Nigerian
Economic Summit Group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry and BusinessDay
Newspapers, in partnership with the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat
(EBES) of the Council.
The program featured a panel of
discussants and stakeholders from the public, private sector and civil society,
with a focus on issues bordering on transparency and efficiency of service
delivery in Nigeria.
PEBEC was established in July 2016 to remove delays and restrictions that come
with doing business in Nigeria, and make the country an easier place to start
and grow a business.
Supported by Executive Order 001
(EO1) signed in 2017 to promote transparency and efficiency in the business
environment, PEBEC has undertaken to drive EO1’s six directives, which aim to
address specific limitations identified in the civil and public service
systems.
So far, a high level of success across several areas has been recorded, and
MDAs have made significant improvements.
Many have taken up the challenge to
deliver more transparent and efficient services to their customers in alignment
with EO1, with a number of notable milestones achieved such as an increase in
the number of MDAs that have functional websites containing detailed
information about their services or statutory functions, as well as improved collaboration
among MDAs.
EO1 has been acknowledged as one of the FGN’s most innovative strategic
initiatives to deliver quick, pragmatic changes for Nigerians. It seeks to
drive domestic and foreign investment that creates employment and stimulates
the economy, by aspiring to overcome the lack of trust in public systems.
When fully implemented, EO1 will
transform the way the FGN and its MDAs serve the business community and the
public at large, as it is a blueprint for fundamental government reform in Nigeria.
The REPORTGOV.NG mobile app is available on the Google Play store, and is
coming soon to the iOS store to enable users give feedback or complaint that
will drive continuous improvement in service delivery and public protection
efforts.
Nigeria is currently placed at 146 among 190 economies in the ease of doing
business index according to the latest World Bank annual rankings.
However, as implementation of EO1
progresses and reforms are institutionalized, the Federal Government aspires to
place Nigeria in the top 100 and top 50 on the Index by year 2020 and 2025
respectively.