… SAYS GAS TURBINES WILL REDUCE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN THE STATE
The Bayelsa State Government has called on the business community in the state to support its efforts in fighting the proliferation of fake and adulterated products being distributed and sold to consumers within and outside the state.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the call at the weekend when the Bayelsa Mega Entrepreneurs Forum paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Yenagoa.
The Deputy Governor, who described the mega entrepreneurs as the backbone of the state’s economy, noted that they have a critical role to play in curbing the marketing and distribution of fake and expired goods, which pose serious risks to the populace.
While encouraging the entrepreneurs to always pay their taxes to the government as required by law, Senator Ewhrudjakpo assured that the concerns raised by the group, especially the issue of multiple taxation, would be appropriately addressed.
He stated that the government had prioritized the twin issues of security and power as key drivers of business and economic development, hence the heavy investments made in strengthening the state’s security architecture.
Describing power generation as a major component of the cost of doing business in the country, the Deputy Governor further assured the Bayelsa business community that the state government was working assiduously to meet the December deadline for the full operation of its new gas turbine plant, which is expected to provide a lasting solution to the problem of epileptic electricity supply.
The Bayelsa number two man also called on major entrepreneurs to extend their various businesses to rural areas in order to stimulate balanced economic growth across the state, and not concentrate solely in the capital city.
Speaking on the forthcoming Bayelsa Mega Entrepreneurship Summit, he stated that the government was fully committed and would leave no stone unturned to ensure the event’s success.
His words:
“It is good to see that you have come together to form a group. Your coming together will do a lot of good for our state. You are a pillar to the economy of Bayelsa State.
We believe that every good government should create an enabling environment for entrepreneurs to thrive. That is why the Assured Prosperity Government is taking issues from the most important to the least. We have improved our security architecture to secure lives and property because, without security, nobody can comfortably do business.
After security, the next key factor is power for businesses to thrive. Power generation to sustain business is highly capital-intensive, but very soon there will be relief, as the government is working round the clock to meet the December deadline.
As a government, we want to encourage you to properly moderate your businesses and pay taxes as and when due. There is also the issue of fake and adulterated products in the state. We need your support and cooperation in the fight to check the proliferation of fake goods being sold in Bayelsa.”
Earlier in her remarks, the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Entrepreneurship Development, Mrs. Charity Kens-Godwin, explained that the visit was intended to create an opportunity for the Bayelsa Mega Entrepreneurs to interface directly with the government.
She also reminded the Deputy Governor of the forthcoming Bayelsa Mega Entrepreneurship Summit, due to hold in a week’s time, and applauded him for his positive disposition toward the business community, especially on the issue of multiple taxation.
Also speaking, the CEO of Ayalla Hotels, Chief Ayalla Robert Enogha, thanked the state government for taking the bull by the horns through the acquisition of gas turbines to stabilize power supply in the state. He noted that the high cost of diesel consumes a huge chunk of profits from businesses operating in Bayelsa.
Chief Ayalla, while commending the government for creating a platform through the Office of the Technical Adviser on Entrepreneurship Development, appealed to the government to look into the issues of multiple taxation and high levies imposed on truck drivers bringing goods into the state, which ultimately lead to higher prices and increased cost of living.
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