....As Stakeholders Score Reforms High
Cross River State Government, along with critical Stakeholders of the Cross River State Enabling Business Environment Council and the Ease of Doing Business Council have adopted the 2026 Cross River State Business Enabling Reform Action Plan.
The adoption of the Business Enabling Reforms Action Plan for 2026, followed several presentations at a well attended Stakeholder's Engagement on the design of the Action Plan, which took place at the SABER Conference Hall,Cross River State Enabling Business Environment Council Secretariat, Fabrication Academy on Bishop Moynagh Avenue, State Housing Estate, Calabar.
Declaring the Stakeholders' Engagement open, Cross River State, Governor, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu restated his administration's commitment to guarantee a conducive Investment climate to thrive in the State, pointing out that since the beginning of the programme, Cross River State had been in the lead in delivering on her responsibilities to ensure the success of the laudable initiatives.
Governor Otu, who was represented by the State SABRE Champion and Accountant General of Cross River State, Dr Mrs Glory Effiong, maintained that the extension of the Programme has further provided opportunity to institutionalised the initiatives with broader benefits for the people of the State.
The Governor enjoined stakeholders to scrutinized all the designed Action Plans, make their inputs with a view to making them workable plans for 2026 in order to realise the objectives of the Programme, assuring that the State Government will continue to strictly adhere to the rules of engagement in line with international best practices.
According to the Crose River State S SABER Programme Manager, Mr Cyril Nyong, the 2026 Cycle of the Action Plan is expected to focus on Six Reform areas, covering improved Land Administration and Land Improvement processes; Increased Fibre Optic Network Development and Access to Broadband; Increased Sustainable Large-Scale Investment; Enabling Firm Operations and Regulatory Reforms; Quick Determination of Commercial Disputes and; Improved Security of Lives and Property.
Stakeholders were unanimous in their endorsement of the Six Reforms Areas, with a strong commitment to work together to ensure that the deliverables are in tandem with targeted objectives.
On the sidelines of the BERAP Stakeholders engagements, the Cross River State Enabling Business Environment Council in collaboration with the State Investment Promotion Bureau engaged Business Communities with presentations on other thematic areas: “After Care and Retention Programme” as well as the Access to Credit workshop where First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and Fidelity Bank Plc engaged participants on available funding arrangements for Business outfits such as Retail Temporal Overdraft; Contract Finance Facility; Invoice Discount Facility and Local Purchase Order Finance, amongst others.
The Stakeholder's engagements drew participants from Civil Societies, Non-Governmental Organisations, Business conglomerates, Contractors, Individual investors, Professional Bodies and relevant Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies such as Ministries of Land, Justice, Agriculture, Information, Commerce, Industry, Cross River Geographic Information Agency, Cross River Internal Revenue Service, amongst others.
Benedict Okache
