Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde has issued an executive order to establish a Trade Grievance Redress Mechanism in line with the state’s Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER), as part of efforts by the state government to access a grant by the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Programme, a global body committed to local economic development.
In a related development, the governor has set up a 7-man implementation committee chaired by the commissioner for trade, investment, industry and cooperative, Otunba Ademola Ojo, who is saddled with the mandate to come up with a strategic implementation plan in line with global best practice which covers traders harassment, unauthorized payments and illegal fees, as well as resolution of power tussle between trade groups among others.
Members of the implementation committee are drawn from relevant MDAs which included commissioners for environment and natural resources, budget and planning, information and orientation, the special adviser to the Governor on budget and economic planning, and Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA).
The move, according to Ojo, is part of a broader strategy to qualify Oyo State to access a global grant by the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Program.
The executive order by the governor aims to create a streamlined process for addressing and resolving trade-related disputes within the state and remove unnecessary bottlenecks in the tax administration system.
