FG is considering visa-on-arrival for foreign investors- Osinbajo
Wed Sep 07, 2016 10:38:am Business
2.5K By Buchi Obichie
In a bid to remove many perceived bureaucratic bottlenecks clogging the
business climate in Nigeria, the Federal Government is seriously
considering the option of issuing visa on arrival to foreign investors
and other business men from outside the country.
This was disclosed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who spoke at the public presentation and first annual lecture of `The Interview' magazine in Abuja.
Osinbajo, who chairs the Muhammadu Buhari-inaugurated committee on enabling business environment, said the responsibility of the committee was to move Nigeria up by 50 spaces on the World Bank's ease of doing business index before the end of 2017.
Speaking on the theme of the event: 'Why start-ups fail and strategies to save them', Osinbajo stated that it was Government's responsibility to create the enabling environment for business to thrive.
He assured that the present administration was committed to doing that.
The Vice President said: "The business of the Government is to provide the right environment for start-ups.
"The problem in most cases and which we have experienced in Nigeria is that our approval processes are needlessly difficult.
"Bureaucracy generally gets caught in seeing the process as an end in itself not as a means to an end.
"The visa on arrival is one that is already in the regulations but that usually involves your applying ahead.
"But the kind of visa on arrival that we think will free up the process is one which you are able to arrive here and get your visa on arrival as you make your application here.''
Osinbajo also revealed that the Government had a plan to review the process of business registrations in Nigeria to make it easier for start-ups, saying that the President was working on a number of regulations.
"It is the business of Government departments to talk to each other to facilitate the process for the investor.
"Government is committed to ensuring that it is easier for people to do business, easier for people to access all of the different facilities that will make it easy to do business.''
This was disclosed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who spoke at the public presentation and first annual lecture of `The Interview' magazine in Abuja.
Osinbajo, who chairs the Muhammadu Buhari-inaugurated committee on enabling business environment, said the responsibility of the committee was to move Nigeria up by 50 spaces on the World Bank's ease of doing business index before the end of 2017.
Speaking on the theme of the event: 'Why start-ups fail and strategies to save them', Osinbajo stated that it was Government's responsibility to create the enabling environment for business to thrive.
He assured that the present administration was committed to doing that.
The Vice President said: "The business of the Government is to provide the right environment for start-ups.
"The problem in most cases and which we have experienced in Nigeria is that our approval processes are needlessly difficult.
"Bureaucracy generally gets caught in seeing the process as an end in itself not as a means to an end.
"The visa on arrival is one that is already in the regulations but that usually involves your applying ahead.
"But the kind of visa on arrival that we think will free up the process is one which you are able to arrive here and get your visa on arrival as you make your application here.''
Osinbajo also revealed that the Government had a plan to review the process of business registrations in Nigeria to make it easier for start-ups, saying that the President was working on a number of regulations.
"It is the business of Government departments to talk to each other to facilitate the process for the investor.
"Government is committed to ensuring that it is easier for people to do business, easier for people to access all of the different facilities that will make it easy to do business.''
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