Duty waiver grant: Ground Handling Companies to enjoy incentive soon — NASS
By Tobi Adetunji
The National Assembly has promised to accede the request of the Ground Handling Companies in granting duty waivers on the importation of ground support equipment as recently experienced by their counterpart in the airline Industry.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatization, Senator Theodore Orji disclosed this during an oversight visit to the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NaHCO) Plc in Lagos.
Earlier, Fagbemi had informed the committee to prevail on the Federal Government to grant waivers on importation of their equipment and allow them to access loans below 10 percent as done for airlines.
In her words, “One of the things we discussed, and we want government to look at is, where we can have waivers on duties just like the airlines have it, we can have some tax incentives and tax relief. We are also looking at below 10% interest rate borrowing like what the airlines have because we also buy our equipment in foreign exchange.
“It is even worse off for us, an airline can sell its aircraft we can’t sell our equipment; they can choose to convert the aircraft from passenger to freighter, but we are stuck with the equipment, when an equipment life is exhausted we just scrap it.”
The NACHO Boss, also sought urgent passage of the Civil Aviation Act before the National Assembly to enable the ground handling firms enjoy some incentives also enjoyed by the airlines.
The Senate Committee Chairman promised to look into the demands of the ground handlers especially as it relates to tax incentives.
He said, “So, we will carry this along and do our bid and ensure that the relevant agencies and government parastatals will know about this.
“One of the things we’ve come here to do is find out their problems so we can intervene, everywhere we have gone, to this is the objective. Find out their problems; find out how we can help, access them whether they are doing good or bad.
“We have come for oversight functions on Nigerian Aviation Handling Company NAHCO (PLC). How they are faring, their constraints and how the committee can intervene to help them.
“My take on the company is that I’ve seen it and commended the group managing director, they are doing well, within the presentation you see the revenue before and you see the revenue now, you see they are trying, it is not easy especially during this COVID-19 period and their areas of operations is so wide that is our impression.”
Extolling the initiatives and the several opportunities it may afford the industry, a source at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company, Adigun, who spoke with Nigerian NewsDirect, said, “It will contribute maximally and boost the operation system of the our industry. It is a thing to look out for and practitioners will do their best at maximizing the benefit.”
