Tinubu’s govt cracks down on private jet owners, summons 80 over operating papers

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has initiated a new verification exercise targeting improperly imported private jets.

The move aims to ensure compliance with import regulations and maximize revenue collection for the government.

Starting Wednesday, the NCS will conduct a 30-day verification exercise requiring around 80 private jet operators to present import documents at the NCS headquarters in Abuja.

The documents required include:

• Aircraft Certificate of Registration
• Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) Flight Operation Compliance Certificate
• NCAA’s Maintenance Compliance Certificate
• NCAA’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flights
• Temporary Import Permit (if applicable)

The initiative follows the suspension of a similar action over a year ago. The government has been attempting to recover billions of naira in unpaid import duties from private jet operators exploiting regulatory loopholes.

Many operators have used Temporary Import Permits (TIPs) to avoid paying the statutory 5% import duty. TIPs are initially valid for 12 months and can be extended twice by six months, but some operators have indefinitely extended these permits.

Unconfirmed sources estimate that the government could collect up to N100 billion in unpaid import duties, especially with the high exchange rate. This figure includes a 25% penalty fee for delayed payments in addition to the 5% import duty.

However, compliance may be challenging as private jet operators have previously resisted the efforts, with some taking legal action to avoid paying duties.

The new verification exercise is expected to lead to mandatory import duty payments, with non-compliant operators facing potential grounding of their jets.

NCS National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, confirmed the verification exercise to Punch. He noted that all actions would be guided by relevant laws and regulations.