Business Competitiveness: Avoiding Habits That Scare Investors

To continuously improve on the living standards and conditions of the population through a myriad of projects in diverse domains. He stated that, “To achieve our set development goals, we must improve on governance across all sectors of activity. Improving governance also means stepping up the fight against corruption and misappropriation of public funds.”
Several government actions have had governance concerns placed at the epicentre in the implementation of development and social projects. But how such efforts have worked out over the years remains preoccupying. However, within certain sectors, steps have been taken to ensure some level of probity. For instance, measures to ensure the proper award and execution of public contracts with the ultimate goal being the realization of palpable projects of best quality and in time need to focus attention on a permanent basis.
Executing projects in several domains has not always been rosy in the country. Without strong and resolute benchmarks to attract investors and development partners, the country could constantly function on illusive projects which would only end on paper. If development projects earmarked in the Public Investment Budget and others funded by partners fail to receive the required attention, not only will the population that should benefit end up suffering, the image of the country in terms of attractiveness will certainly pay the price as well. Of late, a salutary decision has been that of the government battling to curb corruption in the public contracts sector by instituting the migration to the exclusive online procurement. This is intended to limit human contacts and the hand to hand circulation of files and money that have hitherto been the fertile grounds for corruption. The new policy of the award of public contracts is programmed to be accelerated from this 2025 financial year.  The schedule for the effective and efficient online procurement of public contracts is clear and requires scrupulous respect by the stakeholders concerned in the contracts award and execution chain.
Roads which from time in memorial are considered as the key mover in fostering development, because as the saying goes: Where a road passes, development follow! have remained problematic. In order to make the business climate comfortable and efficient, movement from one part of the country to another cannot be taken for granted. People must be able to circulate so as to either sell or buy. Goods and services no matter how well made or attractive can only get to customers and those in need through existing means of transport. Where all of that is lacking, there is real trouble for the national economy.
There has equally been the challenge of having basic facilities as lodging, water and electricity. Most major towns in the country have in recent years witnessed such a demographic explosion which makes it almost impossible for people to be sure of descent habitats. No investors will want to go to a place where they will be unable to have energy which is at the centre of all modern-day economy, especially that being powered by the electricity. At this digital age, goods and service no longer respect geographical barriers in their circulation. Yet, how can anyone accept to stake their hard-earned cash in an environment that will hardly guarantee turnover. By deciding to do business where neither water nor electricity are in regular supply, the investors knows for sure that there will be little chances to make any profit. Therefore, it is imperative that those who have for the past years continued to toil with key infrastructure that is primordial in changing the development narrative in the country should summon the courage to change their ways. That is why a recent move like the recent electronic public contracts procurement innovation is good, but its effectively implementation will require stringent supervision.  Officials and contractors who are already addicted to corruption in the system would want to frustrate government efforts.  This now calls for zero administrative tolerance. Article 5 of the Order to set out the schedule for the migration to the exclusive online procurement should be applied. Minister Ibrahim Talba Malla in the article states that, “Any...