The Senate Committee on Aviation on Monday asked the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency to suspend the recent charges it imposed on local and foreign registered private airline operators, on non-scheduled flights in Nigeria.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma, gave the advice during a tripartite meeting held with NAMA management and private aircraft operators on non scheduled flights.
He also asked NAMA to immediately convey a stakeholders meeting in collaboration with the Ministry of Aviation for the purpose of consulting with the operators and adopt a levy that would be mutually acceptable to all parties.
NAMA had recently introduced a new a pay-as-you-go charge, whereby foreign registered airline operators were expected to pay a flat levy of $3, 000 while their indigenous counterparts were levied $2, 000 on each flight embarked upon by their aircraft.
Our correspondent learnt that before the new levy, the operators were charged based on their routes, navigational terminal and weight of their aircraft and the various amounts were paid to different aviation agencies operating at the nation’s airports.
Spokesperson for the private airlines operators on non-scheduled flights in Nigeria, Alhaji Bala Na’allah, had described the new levies introduced by NAMA as discriminatory because the arrangement was not applicable to airline operators on scheduled flights.
Na’allah agreed that the Civil Aviation Act 2006 section 30 (2) gives power to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to impose levies but argued that such levies should not be imposed without adequate consultations with relevant stakeholders. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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The senate can actually act promptly if they have to, since this issue affects them directly or indirectly. They are the ones flying private jets. Can they speak to madam almighty Okonjo to also suspend the tariffs on imported cars, both new and Tokunbo. This woman is making life unbearable for the masses. Nigeria does not assemble cars, okonjo iweala pls leave us alone.
ReplyDeleteWell put my dear! Let's forget their gender and speak against 'CAPITALISTS'. How does stopping levy on non-schedule flights of private airline operators make life better for Nigerian masses? 'The Lord hears the cry of the poor' ( a song culled from Catholic Hymn Book).We wait for God to make the economy better for us so that our youths can excel and not die as desttutes inspite of their being well educated. NIGERIA GO SURVIVE in Jesus name Amen.
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