THE Managing Director of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCOaviance), Mrs. Tokunbo Fagbemi has appealed to the Federal Government to yield to their request for tax exemption on duties for handling equipment.
Speaking to aviation journalists in Lagos, Fagbemi explained that if waivers were given by the government on aircraft spare parts, ground support equipment should also enjoy the same from the government.
Fagbemi who cited how during the pandemic an Association of Ground Handlers of Nigeria, applied for tax exemptions on equipment similar to what was given on aircraft, declared: “Because at the end of the day, these are ground support equipment that support and handle the aircraft, so if the aircraft are given zero duty why should we also not enjoy that kind of rebate. We will be happy if that is given”.
She used the opportunity to talk on the recent N5 billion bailout funds released to the sector to cushion the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic out of which N70 million was given to NAHCO.
While saying she would be happy if the government can release more palliatives, Fagbemi declared: “We are also looking at our tax.
If there are some forms of tax exemptions, we have taken some opportunities where Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) say pay before a certain time, some we have not been able to because we are actually being reviewed and audited. All the yearly audits, so we have to be able to take a position on those that we have but we will like more particularly because of the peculiarity of this business that we are in. So its high cost in terms of equipment, the equipment do not have the same value like an aircraft has and there is a limited number of years that you can flog it for and then you still pay all these duties and charges. So, if we even have exemptions on duties, it will go a long way to help us to be able to do that”.
On the FG bailout, while commending the Federal Government for the N70 million given to NAHCO from the N5 billion for the aviation sector, Fagbemi said, they look forward to more palliatives which may not be in the form of money for the ground handling companies.
According to her, they had lost so much and having something was better than having nothing, adding they would continue to do everything, work with the business environment to ensure that the organization optimized its revenue in whatever form to serve their clients better and be rest assured that clients would be able to support them.
“Yes, we were given about N70 million but if you look at how much we lost, N70 million it is not much but anything that is given is something that we are grateful for because it is better to have something than to have nothing. But like Oliver Twist, as we are thanking the Ministry and the Federal Government, CBN and the Minister of Finance we are also hopeful that some more, as we have been told, will be given to the ground handling companies.”
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