One Govenment Order Lifts Run Around Burdens Off Applicants

One Govenment Order Lifts Run Around Burdens Off Applicants

* Osinbajo orders MDAs to harmonise processing of applications

When anyone in Nigeria has an application before a Federal Government agency seeking approval, permit or licence, the agency to which he or she is applying will be responsible for obtaining all further official request for information by any other government agency.

This means a situation whereby such applicant would be personally running around seeking additional information needed for the consideration of his application by another agency is now over.

This is because Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has issued directives to Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to harmonise processing of applications in the business environment, in order to promote ease of doing business in the country

In the Executive Order, ‘an MDA that requires input documentation, requirements or conditions from another MDA in order to deliver products and services on applications within the originating MDA’s remit or mandate’ shall only request a photocopy of submitted application or any other proof that would speed up the processing of such application.

It further stipulates that ‘it shall be the responsibility of the originating MDA to seek verification or certification directly from the issuing MDA’.

In a major component of the Executive Order ‘On the promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business environment’ signed by the Acting President yesterday, the directive takes cognisance of the bureaucratic bottlenecks faced by businesses who have to deal with officials and several agencies across the public sector.

Now, MDAs are to adhere strictly to Service Level Agreements in the issuance of ‘published stipulated timelines for processing of applications for the products and services’.

Equally, appropriate sanctions under the Public Service Rules are also to be meted out to erring public officials.

This component of yesterday’s Executive Order signed by the Acting President is under the “One Government” component that promotes inter-agency synergy and transparency offering ease to business and applicants.