Only Six Private Jet Owners In Nigeria Have Been Verified — Customs

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has warned that private jet
owners who fail to carry out verification of their aircraft after
the expiration of the exercise on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 risk
detention of their aircraft.

This is even as the service revealed that only six aircraft
owners have thus far come forward with documents for
verification.

Recall that the NCS had on May 31 directed all private jet
owners in the country to present relevant importation clearance
documents to the agency from June 7 to July 6, 2021, for
verification amidst concerns they are not paying taxes.

Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Joseph Attah, in a press
briefing in Abuja on Monday said two weeks into the 30-day
verification period, only six owners of private aircraft have
presented their import documents for verification.

Attah urged those who are yet to carry out their verification to
do so, warning that the service will not hesitate to invoke
appropriate sanctions.

He said: “Two weeks into the 30 days verification period, only
six owners of private aircraft have responded to the invitation
necessitating this update and a reminder to those who have not
responded to do so in order to avoid possible detention of their
aircraft.

“The service believes that owners of private aircraft are highly
placed individuals who will be willing to comply with extant laws
of the land governing the importation of the aircraft they owned.
This compliance includes payment of all appropriate duties and
taxes.

“As an agency of government responsible for enforcement of laws
governing imports and exports in Nigeria, NCS will not hesitate to
invoke appropriate sanctions on any defaulting private aircraft
owners immediately after the expiration of the verification period
on Tuesday 6th July 2021.

“For the avoidance of doubts, private aircraft owners or their
representatives are to report to room 305 Tariff and Trade
department, NCS headquarters, Zone 3, Abuja from 10 am to 5 pm
between Monday 7th to June to Tuesday 6th July 2021.

“Please note that the documents sought for verification include
Aircraft Certificate of Registration, NCAA’s Flight Operations
Compliance Certificate, NCAA’s Maintenance Compliance Certificate,
NCAA’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flights and Temporary Import
Permit (where applicable).”

Noting that the ongoing verification is not intended to
inconvenience any private jet owner, Attah maintained that the
exercise is to ensure that all privately-owned aircraft in the
country were properly imported and cleared with all appropriate
taxes paid.

“The essence of verification is to unearth certain things that
we are suspecting. We are aware that some people bought their
aircraft under temporary importation arrangement and the period for
such temporary importation has since expired while some have
neither renewed or re-exported such aircraft in compliance with
extant laws governing temporary importation in Nigeria,” he
said.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has warned that private jet
owners who fail to carry out verification of their aircraft after
the expiration of the exercise on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 risk
detention of their aircraft.

This is even as the service revealed that only six aircraft
owners have thus far come forward with documents for
verification.

Recall that the NCS had on May 31 directed all private jet
owners in the country to present relevant importation clearance
documents to the agency from June 7 to July 6, 2021, for
verification amidst concerns they are not paying taxes.

Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Joseph Attah, in a press
briefing in Abuja on Monday said two weeks into the 30-day
verification period, only six owners of private aircraft have
presented their import documents for verification.

Attah urged those who are yet to carry out their verification to
do so, warning that the service will not hesitate to invoke
appropriate sanctions.

He said: “Two weeks into the 30 days verification period, only
six owners of private aircraft have responded to the invitation
necessitating this update and a reminder to those who have not
responded to do so in order to avoid possible detention of their
aircraft.

“The service believes that owners of private aircraft are highly
placed individuals who will be willing to comply with extant laws
of the land governing the importation of the aircraft they owned.
This compliance includes payment of all appropriate duties and
taxes.

“As an agency of government responsible for enforcement of laws
governing imports and exports in Nigeria, NCS will not hesitate to
invoke appropriate sanctions on any defaulting private aircraft
owners immediately after the expiration of the verification period
on Tuesday 6th July 2021.

“For the avoidance of doubts, private aircraft owners or their
representatives are to report to room 305 Tariff and Trade
department, NCS headquarters, Zone 3, Abuja from 10 am to 5 pm
between Monday 7th to June to Tuesday 6th July 2021.

“Please note that the documents sought for verification include
Aircraft Certificate of Registration, NCAA’s Flight Operations
Compliance Certificate, NCAA’s Maintenance Compliance Certificate,
NCAA’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flights and Temporary Import
Permit (where applicable).”

Noting that the ongoing verification is not intended to
inconvenience any private jet owner, Attah maintained that the
exercise is to ensure that all privately-owned aircraft in the
country were properly imported and cleared with all appropriate
taxes paid.

“The essence of verification is to unearth certain things that
we are suspecting. We are aware that some people bought their
aircraft under temporary importation arrangement and the period for
such temporary importation has since expired while some have
neither renewed or re-exported such aircraft in compliance with
extant laws governing temporary importation in Nigeria,” he
said.