The Federal Government of Nigeria has reversed its earlier decision to ground 60 private jets owned by individuals due to unpaid import duties totaling billions of naira.
Recently, a directive was anticipated from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to the Nigeria Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) mandating the grounding of these jets. Reports indicate widespread non-payment of duties on private jets in the country, prompting the NCS to initiate recovery efforts for overdue import duties.
In a proactive measure, the NCS conducted a one-month verification exercise aimed at assessing compliance among private jet owners from June to July. The decision to initially ground the jets follows this verification.
However, according to the acting Managing Director of NAMA, the grounding has been postponed following a new request from the NCS. The customs agency has asked for an additional 30-day grace period for the jet owners to settle their outstanding duties.
Umar Farouk, the acting MD of NAMA, stated, “We were prepared to ground the jets today, but we received another letter from customs requesting a suspension of that action for an additional month to facilitate potential settlements.”
Furthermore, a statement from the NCS confirmed the extension of the verification process. Abdullah Maiwada, the NCS spokesperson, indicated that this additional time is aimed at encouraging operators who are willing to regularize their import duties.
In summary, the NCS has announced that the verification exercise for recovering import duties on privately owned aircraft will now continue until November 14, 2024, allowing more time for compliance and resolution of outstanding payments.
