The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has released its half-year ease of doing business compliance report with the Nigeria Customs Service, Joint Tax Board and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency among others, ranking low in Executive Order 001.
Releasing the report in Abuja on Monday, PEBEC also named the National Intelligence Agency, Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government, and Special Control Unit Against Money Laundry (SCUML) as the least ranked agencies with zero score on ease of doing business compliance.
Other agencies on the list include the National Broadcasting Commission, Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, Bank of Industry, Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority and the National Collateral Registry.
The report, which covered January to June 2023, had the agencies ranked on the basis of efficiency compliance, and their ability to provide timely, cost-effective, and customer-friendly services.
Additionally, their transparency assessment was taken into account during the ranking process.
The PEBEC 2023 Executive Order also assesses the Compliance Report on the level of implementation of the various executive orders issued by the government to facilitate ease of doing business in the country.
On the flip side, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) have emerged as the overall top-performing agencies in compliance with Executive Order 1.
Others that made up the five top performers are: the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), among others.
Addressing journalists at the PEBEC sensitization workshop on the Business Facilitation Act 2022 and Reportgov. ng, held on Monday in Abuja, the Special Adviser to the President, Ease of Doing Business/PEBEC Secretary, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, stressed the need for checks in the MDAs as part of efforts to ensure complete compliance with the executive order.
She added that the reason PEBEC is closely monitoring MDAs is not only to facilitate easy access to public records but also to combat corruption in the country.