- The Federal Government has extended the deadline to pay import duties by private jet owners by one month
- This was made known by Umar Farouk, the Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Authority (NAMA), stating that the directive was from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
- The decision was made to allow jet owners willing to comply with the regulations to settle their unpaid dues
The Federal Government has temporarily halted its plan to ground 60 private jets owned by high-profile individuals across Nigeria due to unpaid import duties amounting to billions of naira.
Initially, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had directed the Nigeria Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) to take action by grounding the defaulting jets, but that decision has now been delayed.
It was reported that a significant number of private jets operating in Nigeria have not had the necessary import duties paid, with the NCS eager to recover the billions in unpaid fees.
This led to a one-month verification exercise between June and July, targeting private jet owners to regularise their documentation. The decision to ground the private jets is coming almost three months after the NCS verification exercise.
Despite the outcome of the verification exercise, the NCS was expected to enforce the grounding of defaulting jets this week.
However, the Acting Managing Director of NAMA, Umar Farouk, revealed that a last-minute directive from the NCS extended the deadline by 30 days, allowing the owners more time to clear their debts.
In his words: “We were supposed to ground the jets today (Monday) but we got another letter from customs requesting that the action be suspended for another month, maybe that is to allow for settlement.”
The NCS spokesperson, Abdullah Maiwada, confirmed the extension, citing it as an opportunity for jet operators who have shown willingness to comply with regulations to settle their unpaid dues. In the special release made on Monday, October 14, 2024, by the Nigeria Customs Service, they emphasised that this move is designed to encourage compliance while reinforcing its commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
“The Nigeria Customs Service wishes to inform the general public, particularly operators of privately-owned aircraft, that the verification exercise for the recovery of import duties on illegally imported private aircraft has been extended by one month, from Monday, October 14, 2024, to Thursday, November 14, 2024.
“This extension aims to further engage operators who have expressed willingness to regularize their import duties, providing them with an additional window to comply with the necessary regulations.
“The NCS is committed to ensuring that all illegally imported aircraft meet the legal requirements, thereby promoting transparency and accountability in the aviation sector.
“In light of this extension, the NCS encourages aircraft operators to take full advantage of the extended period to fulfil their obligations, avoiding sanctions that may arise from non-compliance after the deadline.
“The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, reiterates the Service’s dedication to enforcing the laws governing import duties and maintaining the integrity of Nigeria’s aviation sector. He further appreciates the cooperation and understanding of stakeholders in this ongoing exercise,” the NCS release further stated.
FG plans 25% tax on Nigerians earning above N100m
Meanwhile, TheRadar previously wrote on the plan to start charging Nigerians earning 100 million naira and above a tax rate of 25 per cent personal income tax if the National Assembly passes a new tax bill.
Taiwo Oyedele, the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, advocated for an equitable principle of taxation in which 90 per cent of the current taxpayers should not be taxed.
