The Ogun State government says it is working around the clock to ensure the harmonisation of taxes and levies and reduce the incidence of double taxation that may affect the revenue base of businesses.

The Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Adebola Sofela, said this on Friday during a visit to the managing director of Nestle Nigeria, Wassim Elhusseini.

Mr Sofela said his visit was occasioned by the need to boost the existing relationship between the state government and its various stakeholders, collaborate further, and share ideas on areas of common interest.

“We are working to ensure harmonisation of taxes and levies to reduce the incidence of double taxation,” said the commissioner.

He expressed the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration’s commitment to capacity building at all levels.

As a practical demonstration of this, the commissioner said technical schools across the state were being upgraded to ensure companies without any power gap could fill the technical needs.

“The governor is particularly interested in creating an enabling environment for business to thrive, considering the government’s huge investments in security and infrastructure,” he said.

Mr Sofela, accompanied by top ministry management staff members, stated that the present administration had improved the land administration system to enable investors to obtain title documents without delay and leverage them for financing.

He said the government had been creating new industrial clusters to accommodate the new influx of investors and prepare for the future.

The commissioner appealed to various companies across the three senatorial districts to consider hiring qualified state residents as part of efforts to promote their relationships with host communities.

In his remarks, the firm’s managing director said 80 per cent of his company’s investments were domiciled in Ogun.

According to Mr Elhusseini, the state government is in the right direction with its business-friendly policies.

(NAN)