NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 28 – President Mwai Kibaki has assured the private sector that the government is committed to removing bottlenecks that hinder business growth in the country.
The President who met and held discussions with members of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance at his Harambee House Office further directed ministries and departments to provide fast and efficient services to citizens to enable the government achieve its development goals in outlined timelines.
The Head of State noted that fast service delivery from public institutions would cushion Kenya\’s business community from unnecessary losses apart from ensuring that they reap maximum benefits for their investments.
President Kibaki said that businessmen and entrepreneurs must be accorded all necessary support in order to reap maximum profits whenever opportunities arose.
"Government departments must expedite all applications and submissions presented to them by stakeholders on improving the environment of doing business in the country. This is the attitude government departments must adopt," the President said.
He urged the private sector alliance to continue engaging the government and provide proposals of expanding the Small and Medium Enterprises, which provide a livelihood to over 10 million Kenyans.
President Kibaki expressed confidence that the potential of the Small and Medium Enterprises, if fully exploited, could generate wealth and prosperity for a majority of citizens in the country.
He however assured the business community that their concerns would be addressed adding that there were a series of programmes being undertaken by the government to tackle various challenges facing the country and urged them to continue supporting those initiatives aimed at creating a prosperous country.
The chairman of the umbrella body of the private sector, Engineer Patrick Obath commended the government for various initiatives and programmes aimed at not only creating a conducive environment for doing business but also for empowering Kenyans economically.
The Private sector alliance applauded the continued reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure, particularly roads and urged the government to accord the same urgency to the railway network which they termed as inefficient and costly.
With regard to conservation of the Mau complex forest, the umbrella body urged the government to remain steadfast in its efforts to rehabilitate the water tower, which they termed as an economic lifeline of the country.
The members further urged the government to make use of the provincial administration in protecting water catchment areas and eradication of the tendency of cultivating riverbanks and other riparian areas.
The umbrella body proposed that due to the importance of Vision 2030 to the country\’s national development, that the Vision Delivery Board and its management team be responsible to the President in order to evade handicaps experienced at other levels of government.
They noted that there was need to cushion and make the economic pillar independent of political development and other unpredictable social changes that may erode development gains that have already been achieved.
The private sector alliance urged the government to consider creating a one stop agency to handle issues concerning the small and medium enterprises to enable the sector play its rightful role in national development.
The members further urged the government to prioritize procurement of locally manufactured goods as provided for in the public procurement law in order to protect local jobs.
