- For refusing to remit the 5 percent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Authority said on Monday it would commence recrimination of the debtor airlines according to the provision of the law.
- Muhtar Usman, director-general, NCAA, who frowned at the airlines over what he called ‘false and misrepresentation’ of the payment of the charges, to the travelling public, accused them of concealing the real reason behind the charges.
- The 5 percent charge is enshrined in the Civil Aviation Act and also embedded in passengers’ fares, he said, adding that airlines were supposed to collect from passengers and pay instantly to the NCAA.
- The amount being owed by the airlines, according to sources close to the Authority, could be about N6 billion, both from TSC and Cargo Sales Charge (CSC).
‘’I wish to correct a serious misconception being sold to the public by some airlines. NCAA has reports that some airlines are purporting that the 5 percent TSC is being paid to us from their earnings. This they say is adversely affecting their operations.
“This is absolutely false and a misrepresentation. The TSC is content charged in the ticket sold to passengers. The airlines role is to collect and remit to the regulatory authority.
“Let me again refer to Section 12 (1) of the Civil Aviation Act 2006, which says that there shall continue to be a 5 percent air ticket contract, charter and cargo sales charge to be collected by the airlines and paid over to the Authority.
“As you are all well aware, NCAA has issued a press release and will be complementing with paid advertorial in five national newspapers as final warning to consistent defaulters. We are now ready to commence recrimination of the debtor airlines according to the provision of the law,” he said.
- Source: NAN