NAMA Didn’t Get Customs’ Waiver To Clear Navigational Aids, Says MD

The Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) has disclosed
that it did not get the waiver it requested from the Nigeria
Customs Service (NCS) to clear the CAT111 navigation aids equipment
from the Lagos seaport.

The Managing Director of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, said this
yesterday while briefing journalists in Lagos.

He said that NAMA paid over N100 million to clear the imported
equipment worth about N1 billion.

He said, “CATIII is a modern Instrument Landing System (ILS)
approach used in low visibility weather condition. They are
specialised instruments installed at airports to assist pilots to
fly at almost zero visibility.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that NAMA on January 9
had said that the idea behind the installation of CAT III
instrument landing systems in strategic airports was borne out of
the need to enhance safety.

NAMA’s General Manager, Mr. Kalid Emele, in a statement added
that the installation would also ensure efficiency, access and
seamlessness of flight operations in the airspace, especially,
during the harmattan.

Akinkuotu told journalists that the equipment had been at the
seaport for about six months before they were eventually cleared
and deployed in the last quarter of 2019.

He said that NAMA as a government agency had applied for duty
waiver from NCS to clear the critical safety equipment.

“However, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), declined the
request, despite the duty waivers granted the aviation industry by
the federal government.

“The equipment was at the seaport for some few months because of
issues of customs duty, application for duty waiver and others, but
we had cleared them and they had been installed.

“We didn’t get waivers for the equipment and we had to pay
hundreds of millions of naira for the clearance of the ILS.

“They are part of the automation project. They are mobile
potable cabins that contain the one-stop Aeronautical Information
Service (AIS),” he said.

He said that the automation equipment were installed in Lagos,
Jos and Ilorin airports, adding that the agency was gradually
upgrading the facilities at the nation’s airports and stations.

He said that the agency was asked not to include the clearance
fees for the equipment in the 2018 budget and was assured that as a
government agency the equipment would be granted waiver.

Akinkuotu also said that NAMA had installed the Very Small
Aperture Terminal (VSAT) in Jos and Enugu airports in order to
improve the radio networks in those parts of the country.

On the inclement weather, the NAMA boss assured the flying
public that the agency would continue to install more Instrument
Landing Systems (ILS) at the nation’s airports.

Akinkuotu said any navigation aids that required calibration
would be done as at when due, saying this would further improve
service delivery by airlines to their clients.