Business
Our Priority Is Growing Edo GDP — Oshiomhole
Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has said that growing the state Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was the priority of the government in its second tenure.
Oshiomhole said this in Benin recently, when the Managing Director, Nigeria Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited paid him a courtesy visit.
He also said that expanding the private sector, as well as sustaining structures already on ground, was a focus of the government.
He explained that government alone could not provide the needed jobs for the society, adding that the commitment was in line with the industrial strategy of the state to make private business locate in the state.
The governor, however, said that though infrastructure sustainability required strong economy base, the state would ensure that infrastructure provided in the first tenure of the administration was sustained.
He assured the company of the government’s support in the areas of provision of land, access road, as well as moderated tax obligation.
The governor said that the state government was aware of the strong presence of the company in the state and its contribution towards reducing unemployment in the state in particular and the country in general.
Earlier, the Managing Director, Mr Ben Langart, said that the courtesy visit was to seek governments’ support in terms of investment and expansion.
He said that the company had provided employment for about 536 persons in its Edo plant with 192 out of the number being indigenes of the state and 10 per cent of its total workforce in the country being from the state.
He also said that in the state there were no fewer than 6,000 customers and dealers who make their livelihood from sales of the company’s products.
He further thanked the government for providing the enabling environment for private business to thrive in the state.