Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has said that the country must support the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), with a view to generating wealth and reaping the benefits of democracy.

Dogara, who stated this when he received in audience, a delegation from the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER) Group in Abuja on Wednesday, added that generating wealth through businesses should be a priority of any government. He however, maintained that the promises of democracy – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness cannot be realised in a society where the people are ravaged by poverty and ignorance.

The Speaker opined that the best way to engender prosperity in the nation and fulfill the promises of democracy was to provide jobs to people, especially in the areas of SMEs.

He said: “We believe that the best way we can engender prosperity in the nation and fulfill the promise of democracy is when we get people to work, especially in the area of business.

“I have cause to say that the multinationals don’t generate wealth; they rather provide platforms to which citizens’ wealth migrate to them.

“And in most cases the capital is exported in terms of profits that they make from the nation.

“Small businesses that employ 40 workers; and if you have two million of those businesses employing 40 workers, on the average you are talking about 80 million jobs; and we can do that in this country.”

Dogara further explained that the decision by the House of Representatives to review laws of the Federation was to ensure that the enabling environment for business was created.

Speaking earlier, leader of the Group, Mrs. Sola David-Borha said members of the group have been providing technical support to the NASS in the areas of legislation and would continue to do so.

She requested the Speaker to assist the group with a liaison office in the National Assembly and assign a high ranking member of the House of Representatives to work with them in the proposed private sector technical office in the NASS.

•Photo shows Speaker Dogara.

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