NASS sends business facilitation bill to Buhari for assent

The Clerk to the 9th National Assembly has transmitted the new Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provision) Bill 2022, also known as the Omnibus Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent. The Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business/ Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Executive Bill was passed by the House of Representatives in October 2022 and by the Senate in December 2022.

According to Oduwole, the Business Facilitation Bill aims to codify Executive Order 001 (EO1) on Transparency and Efficiency in Public Service Delivery. She said it would also amend select business facilitation laws identified as critical to the ease of doing business in Nigeria, and institutionalise business climate reforms. “The bill is designed to strengthen ongoing reforms and consolidate legislative provisions that border on ease of doing business in Nigeria. The transmitted bill is a culmination of four years of collaboration of public and private sector stakeholders since 2018. This includes the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Section on Business Law of the Nigerian Bar Association through the participation of over 40 law firms and consulting firms. The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER) are also part of the critical stakeholders.

”The Omnibus bill is an intervention of PEBEC to consolidate and amend legislative provisions towards deepening PEBEC reforms and removing bottlenecks for Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria,” she said. (NAN)