Exporters laud OGFZA best parastatal ranking in Ease of Doing Business

From Nsisong Morgan, Akwa Ibom

The Association of Nigerian Exporters has commended the leadership of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) on the performance of the parastatal in the 2018 ranking by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) on the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.

Director-General of the association, Mr. Joseph Idiong, said, “the ranking of OGFZA by PEBEC as the first among 44 agencies of government in the implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Policy of the Federal Government reflects the hard work and industry of the management of the Authority in the execution of one of the most critical economic policies of the Federal Government.”

Idiong hailed OGFZA on its success and noted that the parastatal has earned the distinction less than two years after a new management led by Mr Umana Okon Umana took over at the agency.

“What has happened is the product of right leadership,” Prince Idiong said. “Where the leader has vision and the capacity to carry through with the vision the story is bound to be that of success such as we have in OGFZA”, he added.

Reached for comment on the ranking story, Umana commended President Muhammadu Buhari for instituting the Ease of Doing Business Policy and for creating the enabling environment for agencies of government to deliver on the promise of the policy.

He said the operating environment for doing business in Nigeria has changed for the better, and hailed all the agencies of government polled in the survey for their diligence and commitment to the spirit and letters of the Ease of Doing Business Policy.

Umana added that the credit for OGFZA’s performance in the survey should go to the staff of the Authority for their industry, commitment and hard work.

“Without them nothing would have been possible. They have been dedicated to the implementation of our roadmap right from the day it was unveiled in February 2017. The roadmap is OGFZA’s performance guide which is entirely consistent with the Ease of Doing Business Policy and milestones execution in the agency” he stated.

OGFZA moved up five places to clinch the top spot in the 2018 compliance ranking. It was ranked the 6th best government agency in compliance with the policy by PEBEC in 2017. The ranking is in its second year since PEBEC secretariat was set up to oversee the implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Policy.