Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau on Wednesday inaugurated the Plateau State One Stop Investment Centre (PSOSIC) in Jos to facilitate business transactions for investors in the state.
The governor, who spoke at the event, said the action was critical to the socio-economic development of the state.
“This is an investment mechanism where relevant government agencies are brought together to one location, coordinated and streamlined, to provide efficient and transparent services to investors in the state,” he said.
Lalong said that the centre was a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to ease the processes of obtaining business permits and improve the quality of regulations that impact on the private sector.
“With our consolidated tax law and legislation to digitise land registry, Plateau has shown it has the right policies and law to support business investments,” he said.
He expressed optimism that PS OSIC would use modern technology in its service delivery, urging the centre to particularly showcase the economic potential of the state.
The governor said that the centre would attract and keep investors, while boosting economic activities and creating employment opportunities in the state.
He said the centre would highlight the areas of comparative advantage in agriculture, tourism and mining in the state, which could be harnessed by potential investors.
Lalong urged the operators of the centre to be hospitable and courteous to their clients, saying that defaulters would incur disciplinary actions.
“Government will not hesitate to deal decisively with anyone who engages in acts capable of tarnishing the image of the state or re-creating bureaucratic bottlenecks that have been removed by the establishment of this centre,” he said.
Besides, the governor said that the government was working toward establishing the Plateau State Investment Promotion Centre and planning to host an Investment and Economic Summit to showcase the economic potential of the state.
Lalong said that the global economy had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that it was, therefore, necessary to adopt new approaches of engaging people in businesses.
Also speaking, Mr Joseph Aku, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, appreciated the governor for his support for the project and the completion of the centre.
He said that the centre would reduce the cost of processing business documents in the state through the convergence of relevant organisations to fast-track the process of accessing relevant documents at the centre
The commissioner also thanked GIZ (German Development Agency), Jos International Breweries and Ministry of Agriculture, among others, for their support in providing resources and building the capacity of operators of the centre.
The Plateau State One Stop Investment Centre, which currently accommodates 18 state and federal government agencies, will provide services such as granting business entry approvals, licences and authorisation, among others.
