The Nigeria Customs Service has warned that private jet owners who fail to carry out verification of their aircraft after the expiration of the exercise on July 6, 2021 risk the detention of their aircraft.
The spokesman of the Service, Joseph Attah, revealed the decision at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.
Attah said only six aircraft owners have thus far come forward with documents for verification.
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.
Attah 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 10am to 5pm 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).”
Attah said the exercise was to ensure that all privately-owned aircraft in the country were properly imported and cleared with all appropriate taxes paid.
He added: “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.”