By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed into law a bill to establish the Ebonyi State Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency and other related matters.

The law deemed to have come into force on June 27, 2023 will be cited as Ebonyi State Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency.

Speaking Tuesday on the bill, Leader of the House, Hon. Kingsley Ikoro, argued extensively in support of the bill stating that the bill if passed into law will develop strategies for providing SMEs with access to markets and finances through initiatives.

Contributing the Chief Whip, Hon. Nkemka Okoro Onumah, stressed that the bill will create well defined support framework for interested entrepreneurs while Hon. Victor Nwoke representing Abakaliki North urged his colleagues to support the passage of the bill which he said will create job opportunities.

In his own contribution, the Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Arinze Lucas Chukwu, stressed the need for prompt passage of the bill saying this will provide essential business statistics that will assist the government in formulating sound business and revenue generation policies.

Speaking also Hon. Godwin Abiri representing Izzi West Constituency, and Hon. Oluchi Ezeali representing Afikpo North East, stated that the bill will facilitate the development of business ideas through on-the-job training for new entrepreneurs in Ebonyi State.

Others who spoke in favour of the bill include Hon. Ogba Celestine, Hon. Nwankwo Chikezie Igu, Hon. Goodluck Mbam, Hon. Nwodo Aloysius and Hon. Chikaodili Nome who were of the opinion that the bill will stimulate economic growth in Ebonyi State.

The bill which was exhaustively deliberated in the committee of the whole was read page by page where errors of syntax and morphology were corrected.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Moses Ije Odunwa, put the passage of the bill into vote and it was unanimously adopted.