OPS urges Buhari to ensure private sector inputs in economic policies

By Harry Awurumibe, State House ABUJA. The Organised Private Sector (OPS) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to give directives to the appropriate bodies of Government to engage withOPS calls on President Buhari to ensure private sector inputs in government’s  economic policies.
   This was part of the 16- point recommendations the leadership of the body in Nigeria and Africa presented to the  President today (Friday) at the State House, Abuja when they paid a courtesy call on him.
   Speaking to State House Correspondents, the National President of Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Chairman, OPS, Hajiya Saratu lya Aliyu disclosed that they discussed with the President their  requests especially on Nigeria’s commitment to hostcountry obligations for the West African arm of OPS called FEWACCI and to build its secretariat in Nigeria. 
  “We the leadership of NACCIMA are in the Villa today to among other things felicitate with Mr. President for his re-election and victory in the court.
“We want to thank Mr. President for this opportunity, as we earlier indicated, this visit is in three (3) capacities – NACCIMA, the OPSand FEWACCI. Our colleagues from other ECOWAS countries are here and will appreciate his Excellency’s kind magnanimity”, She said. 
    According to her in order to promote a vibrant regional economy through public and private sector collaboration, the current administration ofNACCIMA following its inauguration on 11th July, 2019 articulated the 21-point program with the theme “Unleash the Giant” NACCIMA intends to engage the Federal Government on a totalof sixteen (16) of those stated points with the goal of ensuring business growth and socio-economic advancement through public and private sector collaboration on each of the program points. 
They include the following:1. Adherence to law and ethics2.Proactive policy engagement3.Trade capacity building4. Security5.Efficient taxation6. Government intervention program7.Creative industry8. Agribusiness9. Solid minerals and metals10. Micro and medium scale development11. Technology and infrastructure12. Industrial parks13. Regional integration14. AfCFTA15. Multiplicity of private sector organizations16. Women and Youth Empowerment.
   “We have also elaborated on some of the programmes as highlighted above in the detailed presentation in these areas:
BUDGETINFRASTRUCTURE DEFICITMULTIPLE TAXATIONYOUTH EMPOWERMENTWOMEN EMPOWERMENTMORE GOVERNMENT PATRONAGE OF LOCAL BANKSELIMINATION OF OBSTACLES TO EXPORTSAFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (AfCFTA)MAXIMIZATION”.
  “With respect to the other requests regarding our 16-point Agenda to engage the Federal Government in Unleashing the Giant forNigeria, we shall appreciate your Excellency’s directives to the appropriate Bodies of Government to engage with NACCIMA orindeed the Organised Private Sector, towards ensuring that Government policy formulation, implementation and most importantly, policy monitoring have broad private sector input”, She concluded.