Lagos – Foreign airlines operating into Nigeria have called for harmonisation of charges imposed on them by agencies and organisations in the country.
The airlines also mentioned the Murtala Muhammed Internaitonal Airport (MMIA), Lagos as one of the most expensive airport to operate into in the world.
Speaking under the auspices of Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN) over the weekend in Lagos, the operators decried that multiple charges by agencies was affecting their operations in the country.
Mr. Philip Wetherall, Director, Virgin Atlantic Cargo said that with the multiple charges impose on the operators; more investment opportunities would continue to elude the country.
For instance, he said that the airlines pay N5k per kilo to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on exported cargo and another N7k per kilo on each cargo that is imported into the country.
He observed that despite the exorbitant charges, facilities on ground most of the airports could not justify the charges, stressing that the equipment required massive improvement.
He called on all agencies in the sector to harmonise their charges as is the case in international community, adding that this act was also affecting the contribution of the industry to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation’s economy.
He said: “There should be collaboration among government agencies in the sector. Lagos Airport is one of the most expensive airports in the world to operate into. However, we still need to improve our services and infrastructure to meet up with international community.
“The fact still remains that more revenues we earn, more money to the coffers of the government. Aviation in Nigeria needs to be revolutionalised.”
Also speaking, Mr. Kingsley Nwokoma, President of AFARN, insisted that multiple charges had been a major challenge to the operations of airlines in the country.
He recalled that the Federal Government through the Ministry of Transportation, Aviation Unit, set up a committee to address the challenges including multiple charges complaints by the operators, but regretted that nothing came out of the committee.
He pointed out that until some of these challenges are addressed, the Ease of Doing Business policy of the Federal Government would continue to be a mirage.
He said: “The slogan now is Ease of Doing Business, but how easy is this Ease of Doing Business? We have lots of touts working around the airport and we are talking about safety and security. How can we be able to contribute to the GDP growth with all these?
“Yams are eaten all over the world, but Nigerian yams are not accepted in many countries. Exporters’ packages yams to Ghana, rebrand it and give it another name and immediately this is done, it becomes accepted in Europe and other countries. The facilities the ground handling companies have in Nigeria are not adequate to preserve some of our farm produce. So, exporters take them to neighbouring countries.”
It would be recalled that domestic airline operators have over the years lamented about the multiple charges levy on their operations by government agencies.
Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the umbrella body of indigenous airlines in the country claimed that government agencies impose 32 charges on them and have consistently called for a review.
The post Foreign Airlines Lament Multiple Charges, Call For Harmonisation By Agencies appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
Source: Daily Independent
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Foreign Airlines Lament Multiple Charges, Call For Harmonisation By Agencies
Description : Lagos – Foreign airlin es operating into Nigeria have called for harmonisation of charges imposed on them by agencies and organisations in...
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