Today, Sokoto State moved up another notch in opening up its economy to its people, the nation and the world at large, by commissioning the One-Stop-Shop, under the Ease of Doing Business Program.
One Stop Shop brings together under one roof, sharing the same space, all the State and Federal agencies, “involved in regulatory, certification, registration and revenue generation”, Governor of the State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal told the gathering at the venue of the event.
He explained that the move is intended to “help business men and women to navigate these agencies, to seek for information, advisory services, registration/renewal of permits, certification and payment of taxes with ease.
The Center houses such critical agencies to business as the FIRS, Immigration and Custom Services and BOI. Others are State Internal Revenue Service, CAC, Export Promotion Council, Sokoto Cooperatives Department, Sokoto Investment Company and the State Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
This development comes at the heels of the recent commissioning of the newly reconstructed Sokoto Investment Complex, which houses the highly digitized Investment Company, Sokoto Geographic Information Systems (SOGIS) and the Board of Internal Revenue Service.
Another nobel entrant to the imposing structure is the Taj Bank, a new bank into Sokoto, an initiative aimed at facilitating access to investment capital for citizens aspiring for enterprenuership.
Twenty-twenty is a true “leap year” for Sokoto, as the impact of programs and strategies started since the inception of Tambuwal’s administration in 2015, begin to culminate in the opening up of the state’s economic space.
The economic challenges posed by the Covid 19 Pandemic not withstanding, Sokoto is forging forward to advance its economic fortunes far above the low ratings of the past.
This is being strengthened by the state’s migration to IPSAS Budget in 2020, high performance in SIPTAS and the production of the Sokoto State Development Plan, all in compliance with international best practices for transparency and accountability.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has in the last five years reformed Sokoto State socioeconomically through a commitment to changing the conduct of the business of governance from analogue to digital and accountable.
Shekara is Special Adviser to Governor Tambuwal on Public Affairs
