The Rivers State Commissioner for commerce and industry, Mr. Ogbonna Nwuke has said that government has set out to ensure that all bottlenecks to investors and investment in the state are expunged, so as to create an enabling environment for business to thrive.

Nwuke who made this known in Port Harcourt while receiving the report of the committee on commercial and Industrial Policy Roadmap for sustainable industrial growth, said government has put in place policies that will aid investors to do business in the state without problems.

According to him, “one of such policies put in place is tackling the multiple taxations in the state, which government sees as an obstacle to efforts being made to attract investment and investors in the state.”

In his words, “we will create an enabling environment for investors who are already here and the would-be investors to take advantage of the great resources that we have in Rivers State.”

He said that a bill known as the Fiscal Responsibility Bill that seeks to exterminate double taxation has already been taken to the State House of Assembly, adding that government has sent another bill to the House to make it illegal for youths to interfere with service providers or contractors working for government.

The commissioner said when this bill is signed into Law, an offender will be jailed for two years for interfering with contractors or service provider, adding that this will serve as deterrent to those who obstruct development processes.

This also, according to him, would serve as clear signal for those wishing to invest in the state that government had created the right atmosphere for business.

Corlins Walter