NAMA to ground airlines over N8B debt
*Total debts to agencies rise to over N34B
*N329m recovered in two months
The Federal Government has directed its revenue recovery committee in the aviation industry to ensure the recovery of N8.08billion owe the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) by airlines.
The effort seems to be paying off as the committee has recovered N329 million in two months as it intensifies efforts to recover more than half of the monies before the end of the year.
There are indications that the carriers also owe the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) N10b and N20b respectively, bringing the debt profile of the airlines to all the agencies to over N38b.
Aside airlines that are still in operation,many others airlines including cargo and charter operators that have ceased operations are also heavily indebted to the agencies.
A very reliable source in the Ministry of Transportation told WoleshadareNews that the measure put in place to recover the funds is to deny any, “Recalcitrant operator start up for departure or totally ground the operators”.
He added that what the agency is demanding for is the transfer of money belonging to the agency that is in the airline kitty for many years to the aviation parastatals,
NAMA is said to be carrying huge liability of almost N18b pension, high cost of operation of manning virtually all the 24 airports across the nation and growing overhead.
The Federal Government has some few months ago set up a committee for debt recovery, mandating the committee to recover N8.08b. Since them, the committee has met with the airlines. While many have rescheduled their debts, some others are said to be reluctant to defray their debts.
The source gave the breakdown of the debts amounting to N8.08 billion. He said the debt before the operators took NAMA to court in 2001 was N3.8b with Supreme Court verdict that gave judgement to the agency and ruled that the carriers should liquidate the debt they owe.
The court had directed that NAMA collect what was owed it by airlines from 2001 to 2013, but the aviation agency is piqued that majority of the airlines are still challenging the verdict of the apex court.
Showing documents to back up his claims, the source said after the court verdict, another N1.6 billion was also owed the agency from January 2014 to June 2016 which is yet to be defrayed.
Cumulatively, none operating airlines, that is, airlines that have ceased operation or gone into extinction owe NAMA N1.1b as the committee vowed to go after them or explore legal option to recover the debts.
Some of the airlines that have gone into oblivion or stopped operations but are still indebted to NAMA are Bellview, Air Nigeria, IRS, Chanchangi, Sosoliso, ADC, Savannah Air, Albarka Air, Nicon Air Discovery Air among others.
Others debtors are operators of private aerodromes who have refused to remit N1.5 billion in services rendered by NAMA. Some of the airlines have been accused of diverting the funds to their other businesses.
“This is public fund, but we have discovered that they put these funds into their other businesses. If airlines in Ghana and are making profit; what then is wrong with our airlines? We will go all out to recover all funds.”
“We are asking them to spread their debts over a period of time so that they can pay up what they owe. We want commitment from them. While many are cooperating, others are recalcitrant.”
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