The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has advised Airlines and indeed other industry operators to always engage the appropriate authority for proper clarification and necessary action rather than resorting to self-help by using their obviously enormous visibility to gain public sympathy even when in contravention of extant laws.
The NCS stated this in reaction to publications in some sections of the media which quoted the Chairman of Air Peace Airline, Allen Onyema as saying that the Service was still collecting duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) in defiance of the federal government’s Executive Order on commercial airplanes and spare parts.
Speaking in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, the Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Mr. Joseph Attah drew the attention of the Air Peace boss to Section 39 of the Second Schedule of the Finance Act as amended which stated that “Airlines registered in Nigeria and providing commercial air transport services are entitled to duty-free importation of their aircrafts, engines, spare parts and components whether purchased or leased”.
Attah informed that the aforesaid did not grant concession on Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) and the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) adding that the Act granted exemptions to Customs duty and VAT only.
“Such imports are therefore still required to pay appropriate charges on ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and Comprehensive Imports Supervision Scheme (CISS). It was therefore in-line with the extant regulations that NCS did not collect duty and VAT on Air Peace recent import of E195-E2 with registration No. 5N-BYE but restricted itself to the collection of ETLS and CISS which amounted to the sum of N189,000,000.
“NCS was therefore surprised to read from some national dailies quoting the Chairman of Air Peace accusing it of defying the Federal Government order, thereby ‘destroying airline business in the country.’ This attempt at guilt tripping and threatening to shut down as a result of the presumed ‘Service defiance’ of FG Executive Order is most unfortunate and does not show proper understanding of the extant regulations governing one’s industry, which can also be construed as a deliberate attempt to blackmail the Service.
“The thinking that NCS can act in defiance of FG Order is far-fetched as our statutory function is to implement the fiscal policies of Government to the letter. On the off chance that this faux pas was as a result of a misreading of Government regulation, NCS wishes to advice Airline and indeed other industry operators to always engage the appropriate authority for proper clarification and necessary action, instead of resorting to self-help by using their obviously enormous visibility to gain public sympathy even when in contravention of extant laws”, Attah advised.
He however, pointed out that as implementers of fiscal policies, “we give assurances of our readiness to act in accordance with the principle and spirit of any government directive concerning any industry in-spite of attempt to portray the NCS negatively in the public domain.”
Photo: The Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Joseph Attah.
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