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NCAA to publish debtor airlines’ names

By on August 1, 2015

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority on Thursday said it would publish thez names and amount being owed by each airline operating in the country if the carriers failed to make the necessary remittances within two weeks.

The NCAA, in a riot act to all the debtor airlines, said the affected carriers had demonstrated apathy in remitting the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge to it.

“In a final notice to all airline operators, the regulatory authority has issued a two-week ultimatum to errant airlines,” the General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke, told our correspondent.

The aviation sector regulator stressed that if the airlines failed to comply with the directive on remittance of the outstanding amounts, it would enforce the provisions of Section 27(3) of the Civil Aviation Act.

In an electronic mail sent to our correspondent, the regulator said, “The NCAA will, therefore, take all measures contained therein to enforce the collection of the debts. In addition, the names of the debtor airlines and amounts owed shall be published in at least five national dailies.

“The names of the promoters of these airlines, directors and other related parties will be included in the publication upon the expiration of this ultimatum.”

The NCAA said the measures would be taken in line with the Federal Government’s directives on recovery of public debt.

It explained that the offending airlines had failed to offset the accumulated debts despite several appeals, reconciliation meetings, visits and reminders.

The NCAA noted that section 12(1) of the Civil Aviation Act, 2006 stated, “There shall continue to be a five per cent air ticket contract, charter and cargo sales charge to be collected by the airlines and paid over to the authority.

“Importantly, the authority wishes to inform the general public that the five per cent ticket and cargo sales charges represent charges collected at source from the travelling public by airlines on behalf of civil aviation agencies.

“However, its non-remittance as at when due is tantamount to a breach of trust and a violation of the above provision. Therefore, the authority is issuing the ultimatum to the operators who have collected but failed to remit same to the authority to do that within two weeks.”

The regulator said it would continue to implement the “no payment, no service” financial policy to ensure complete clearance of the indebtedness to the authority.

 

[Punch]