Import duty: FG grants private jets owners 30-day extension
The Federal Government of Nigeria has reversed its decision to ground sixty private aircraft owned by different Nigerian citizens due to unpaid import duties totalling billions of naira.
On Monday, it was anticipated that the government will ground the aircraft that were in default by an order from the Nigeria Customs Service to the Nigeria Airspace Management Authority.
According to reports, most private aircraft in the nation do not have their duties paid; the NCS is attempting to recoup unpaid import charges totalling several billions of naira.
The NCS reportedly conducted a one-month verification exercise on all private jet owners in the nation between June and July as a result of the development.
The most recent decision to stop operating private aircraft is almost three months after the NCS verification exercise.
However, in an exclusive interview, Umar Farouk, the interim Managing Director of NAMA, stated that the reason the planes haven't been grounded yet is that the NCS has written the agency a new letter asking for an additional thirty days to let the debtors to pay their import charges.
"We had planned to ground the jets today (Monday), but customs sent us another letter asking that the action be halted for an additional month. Perhaps this is to give us time to settle," Farouk said.
Additionally, a statement endorsed by NCS spokesperson Abdullah Maiwada supported the acting MD's stance and stated that the verification process had been prolonged by one month by customer service.
According to Maiwada, the purpose of the extension was to continue working with operators who had shown a desire to regularise their import duties.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) announced that the verification process for recovering import duties on privately owned aircraft that have been illegally imported has been extended by one month, from Monday, October 14, 2024, to Thursday, November 14, 2024. The NCS specifically wanted to notify operators of privately owned aircraft.
