ECONOMY REFORMS
According to Knoema statistics, the rate of unemployment in Ondo state is on an exponential increase from 6.2% in 2005 to over 39% in the last quarter of 2019. National Bureau of statistics grew tired of showing how backward Nigeria has grown; refuses to continue to publicize these statistics. This is the true picture of how terrible this has become.
Omotoso has put forward detailed policy proposals which have as their principal goal growing our economy. We believe that the best economy is an economy that generates opportunities for everyone.
The role of the State government is not to create jobs ceaselessly but to foster the right conditions for entrepreneurs to create jobs and let businesses grow, which is why Omotoso also has a comprehensive plan to eradicate outdated regulation and reduce bottleneck.
Omotoso has a plan as well to address the areas where we are weak: better preparing our workforce, lowering the cost of doing business, providing a reasonable regulatory framework, and investing in infrastructure.
A top priority now will be to restore confidence and ensure that state monies are spent right and this is accomplished through governmental accountability and transparency.
Omotoso Administration Will
- Mobilize Ondo’s agriculture, manufacturing, and innovation in public services to ensure that the future is “Made in Nigeria”. We’ve seen the importance of bringing home critical agricultural, manufacturing and supply chains so that we aren’t dependent on other states or countries. But Omotoso believes we can’t stop there — we will be releasing plans after we took office, to build a strong industrial base and voluminous small-businesses network to retain and create millions of good-paying jobs in agricultural, manufacturing, technology, and services across the state.
- Ensure No Unjust Enrichment: keep well-off business owners from using any program to unjustly enrich themselves. Our programs should be designed to keep small business owners and benefits workers as a whole – not to make well-off business owners better off than they would be with no crisis.
- Set up “Entrepreneurship Development Centre” (EDC) under the Ministry of Finance which will train graduates in entrepreneurship, business and project management, business planning, and marketing. They would undergo this training within a stipulated timeframe and both the CBN and foreign investors will be used as their source of business start-up or expansion. The effort will create more jobs for the populace.
- Provide mandated one-year tax relief for fresh business start-ups, followed by mentorship and training until the one-year term elapses. Their job creation would be monitored as every one of their staff must earn above the minimum wage.
- Implement initiative aimed at empowering marginalized including widows, orphans, aged, handicapped, and vulnerable / less privileged through various programs. The government will enable secure jobs through job matching to ensure they live with dignity.
- Attract huge foreign direct and indirect investments through the programs we have designed.
- Refine the Ondo State Micro Credit Agency into a well-structured body that would close the gap to corruption, nepotism, and misuse of funds. The main focus will be on the speed of disbursement of the fund so it will not hinder the entrepreneur from progressing their business.
- Proceed with a sound entrepreneurship crusade and interpreting business training into our native languages for non-literates to be able to benefit from these programs. These programs will be done state-wide; we will make the entire citizenry get familiar with basic financial management and business operation skills.