Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, says his administration will continue to provide enabling environment for small scale businesses to thrive.
Oyetola said this during an engagement programme organised by the State’s Civic Engagement Centre with members of the Osun Chapter of Association of Mobile Telecommunication Engineers of Nigeria, on Thursday in Osogbo.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the governor said that Osun remained a fertile ground for businesses to grow and flourish.
He said since inception, his administration had been embarking on infrastructural development, providing soft loans for small businesses, ensuring adequate security, as well as, coming up with tax friendly policies for business owners.
The governor said his administration through the state’s Microcredit Agency had empowered 5,296 small scale business owners with over N2 billion to expand their businesses.
He said the state government through the agency had also disbursed about N91 million to different categories of informal sector operators in the state.
“My administration will continue to support small scale industries through initiatives, programmes and policies that will build business confidence, and encourage them through provision of grants and loans.
“Small businesses contribute to local economies by bringing growth and innovation to the community in which the businesses are established.
“They also help to stimulate economic growth by providing employment opportunities for the people.
“Small businesses tend to attract talent who invent new products or implement new solutions for existing ideas”, he said.
The governor noted that it was his administration’s quest for the realisation of the economic benefits of the small scale businesses, stating that his administration has put in place necessary infrastructure for businesses to thrive.
He said small scale businesses were a vital part of the economy, which no government would want to play with.
The governor, who commended members of the association for their support for his administration, urged them to also support his re-election in the state on July 16 governorship election.
In his remarks, the President of the association, Andulrasak Ejalonibu, commended the governor for his various friendly business policies that had sustained small scale businesses in the state.
Ejalonibu appealed to the governor to continue to support members of the association with soft loans to boost their businesses.
He also urged the governor to organise training for members of the association to enhance their efficiency in their business endeavours.
Ejalonibu also promised that members of the association would massively support the governor with their votes in his re-election bid. (NAN)
