Fred Itua, Abuja
The Federal Government has initiated moves to reform the Federal Civil Service to make it more effective. It was learnt that the Acting Director General of Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Mr. Ibrahim Dasuki Arabi, has constituted a team of consultants who will work on a survey to identify common constraints and bottlenecks faced by federal agencies and to proffer evidence-based recommendations for their improvement.
Addressing the consultants at a meeting last weekend, Arabi revealed that BPSR has concluded arrangements to conduct a public perception survey on administrative burden in the implementation of Executive Order 001 on the promotion of transparency and efficiency in Nigeria’s business environment.
He said the Executive Order 001, which was signed in 2017 by the Federal Government has the main objective to make it easier to do business in Nigeria and increase the competitiveness of the country’s economy, thereby contributing to growth.
He added that the key contributor to this growth is the revival of investment, particularly private investment – both foreign and domestic.
Another important advantage, he said, is that the survey will assist government to design and implement strategies to address potential critical areas of administrative burdens to citizens and businesses.
He said lessons learnt from the survey will serve as a basis for further policy dialogue around the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
“The other objective of the survey is to seek information from citizens, businesses and the general public on their perception of the reduction or otherwise of the Order,” he said.
Arabi reiterated that the scale of administrative burden imposed on business can have significant consequences not only for business costs, but for the overall competitiveness and growth of the economy.