30 Private Jet Owners In Nigeria Owe Customs Duties

Thirty out of sixty-five private airplanes in Nigeria owe customs duties.

Gatekeepers News reports that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said 30 out of 65 verified private airplanes are liable to pay required duties to the federal government.

The Customs Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, who disclosed this on Sunday, said some of these planes came into Nigeria by Temporary Importation agreement which allows them to bring the jets without payment because it was secured by a bond.

Attah said many of them failed to turn up to pay on the expiration of the agreement which necessitated the verification.

According to him, with the verification exercise, there would be more revenue to be accrued to the federal government of Nigeria because those who failed to adhere to the agreement would be made to pay the duties.

Attah added that the verification allowed the service to clearly differentiate commercial planes from privates ones.

The customs spokesperson, however, restated that the verification was not meant to embarrass anybody but to ensure that the right or required duties were paid to the government by the owners of these private planes.

He further disclosed that with the impact of the first two weeks extension, the NCS has again given another two weeks which commenced from Monday, July 26, to Friday, August 6.

Attah said, “Considering the rising number of compliance and the number of jets that are liable for payment of duties as well as indications by those people to do so, the Comptroller-General has again graciously given them another two weeks.

“The exercise as I stated in our previous briefings, is not intended to be punitive or to embarrass them but to ensure that these private jets that operate in the country are properly documented.

“And also, to ensure every collectable revenue is collected into the coffers of the Federal Government.

“As you all know the case of increasing economic challenge, every source of revenue is important to the government and beyond that, for security purposes.

“With this, you can now tie proper ownership to every aircraft or private jet that flies into and out of the country. Through the exercise, we have been able to know those hiding under temporary importation agreements.

“We are aware that owners of private jets are highly placed Nigerians who should be respected and approached in a manner that provides all necessary convenience and that is what these extensions stand for.”

He added that this will be the last extension because whoever fails to turn up for the verification will have his aircraft impounded.