The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has said that it paid over N100 million to clear its navigational aids at the Lagos seaport as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) refused to waive duty on the equipment.
The payment was made despite duty concession which the federal government gives to the importation of such critical equipment for the aviation industry.
NAMA’s managing director, Capt. Fola Akinkutu, who disclosed this to NewsGazette said the equipment, which were at the seaport for about six months were eventually cleared and deployed in the last quarter of 2019.
It was gathered that NAMA, being a federal government agency, had applied for duty waiver to clear the critical equipment, but the NCS declined the request.
The managing director said the automation equipment were installed in Lagos, Jos and Ilorin airports, adding that the agency was gradually upgrading the facilities at the nation’s airports and stations.
“The equipment were at the seaport for some few months because of issues of customs duty, application for duty waiver and others, but we have cleared them and they have already been installed.
“We didn’t get waivers for the equipment and we paid about hundreds of millions of naira for the clearance. The waiver request was not approved. They are part of the automation project.
“They are mobile potable cabins that contain the one-stop Aeronautical Information Service (AIS),” said Akinkuotu.
On the inclement weather that disrupts flight services, Akinkuotu said NAMA would continue to install more Instrument Landing Systems (ILSs) at airports and stations while any navigation aids that require calibration, would be done as and when due so as to improve service delivery to its clients.
It would be recalled that efforts to get customs duty waiver for the equipment failed and NAMA raised the fear that the equipment may rust and become obsolete at the seaport if not cleared immediately.
“Clearing of these goods and paying customs duties cost hundreds of millions because these are very expensive equipment. We must find funds for doing this clearance and it must be done urgently because the equipment cannot remain in the ports at the risk of bad weather and anything could expire there and we will run the risk of starting all over again,” NAMA had said at that time.
However, the agency was asked not to include the cost of clearing the equipment in its 2018 budget and was assured of duty waiver as a federal government agency.
Besides, Akinkuotu emphasised that NAMA had installed the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) in Jos and Enugu airport to further improve radio networks in those areas.
