The Government  of Ekiti on Tuesday unveiled  various reforms to fast track ease of doing business and attract more investors into the state.

The Director-General of Ekiti State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (EKDIPA), Ms. Damola Ajibade, said this at an interactive session with business community leaders in Ado Ekiti.

She said that the reforms were geared toward promoting and  enhancing the socio-economic development of the state.

Ms. Ajibade explained that the state government had improved on its ease of doing business conditions.

According to her, the  development has made the state a destination of choice for investors and business owners.

Newsmen report that the interactive session focused on the various initiatives put in place to enhance ease of doing business in the state.

It attracted participants from the Ekiti State Chambers of Commerce (EKICCIMA), the State Internal Revenue Service,  and the Medium Enterprises Development Agency, (MEDA).

Others participants were from : the State Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, business owners, as well as small and medium entrepreneurs.

Ajibade said  that the state government, through the steering committee on ease of doing business, had approved an  initial waiver for business registration.

She added  that it also had  established automation of PAYE registration, introduced online payment of taxes and instituted a small claim court for ease of access to justice.

According to her, EKDIPA has been equipped and designated to serve a one-stop shop that will facilitate ease of doing business and provide necessary technical supports for investors and business owners in the state.

The Director General, Microfinance and Enterprises Development Agency (MEDA), Mr.  Kayode Fasae, also spoke on other efforts by  the government toward supporting business owners.

He disclosed that the state government had made  provisions to assist business owners in the payment of 60 per cent of loans borrowed during COVID-19 period  and also provide financial support on operational costs.

Fasae added that a total of 166,000 people had benefitted from the Federal Government’s COVID- 19 intervention loan.

He said that another 7,000 are  awaiting  to benefit from  the scheme.

“The State Government, through MEDA, has conducted harvest training for over 12,500 participants out of which 700 had received start-up funds to start their businesses.

“It is the responsibility of MEDA to assist all start-up businesses and to ensure that all business are registered because we know that the waiver is for a limited period,” he said.

The MEDA boss stressed the need for business owners to register their businesses in order to benefit from support schemes available to them.

He pointed out the need for each association to set up a monitoring and assessment team that would verify how their members utilized the various loans disbursed to them.

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Mr.  Muyiwa Olumilua, the State Commissioner for Investment, Trade and Industry, explained that the  ministry was making efforts to set up a trade facilitation center.

Olumilua, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Ayodele Adeyanju, explained that the  Centre, when fully operational, would provide supports for importers and exporters in the state.