Aviation workers under the aegis of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have petitioned the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika on what they described as imminent crisis in aviation over exorbitant and multiple taxation/fees, arbitrary imposed on handling companies by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Equally worried by the situation are the two major handling company, the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) and Skypower Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL).
The two firms with NUATE jointly in a letter dated March 22, 2016 shared with BusinessDay said the irregular, exorbitant and multiple fees imposed on these companies and its workers were without recourse to established rules.
“It is only in Nigeria that the Federal Airport Agency collects exorbitant fees for services not rendered. If you know the stress our staff endure every day at the baggage handling hall just to move clients’ bags, you will feel sorry for them. This is because the conveyor belts are not working,”
Tayo Ajakaye, Manager, Communications and Corporate Services NAHCO Plc, said.
“We pay for entering into our offices, can you believe that? We pay N12, 500 for sticker 503 of our staff for 2016. You can do the maths yourself.”
In response to this, Yakubu Dati, General Manager Public affairs FAAN told BusinessDay that there is a ministerial committee set up by the Ministry to address charges.
Dati noted that it is expected that those with such complaints approach exploit this window.
According to him, “As a responsible organisation, we await the findings of this highly respected committee.”
The stakeholders and aviation handling company workers are irked that at the toll plaza each staff pays N12, 500 per staff car per annum while at the Hadji Camp gate; it is N10, 000 per staff per annum, (a distance of less than 100meters from item 1).
At the stakeholders’ car park along the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, each staff pays N15, 000 per staff per annum; while at the MMA2 car park, it is N44, 000 per staff per annum.
At the car park opposite SAHCOL headquarters, each staff pays an average of N300 per entry; including concession fee of five per cent of Annual Gross Income.
Apron pass costs N150, 000 per vehicle. This has a huge cost implication to companies which have more than 100 vehicles and pieces of equipment.
Equally worrisome to them is rent per square meter of office space per annum which cost N149,021,723.75 in Lagos; in Abuja, it goes for N13,494,060; in Kano N20,247,000; and Port Harcourt – N22,042,396.80.
Airside Drivers’ License –costs N50, 000 per staff while refreshers pay N25, 000; access card to restricted areas such as tarmac and arrival hall, (where sensitive operations of these companies are carried out) costs N25, 000 per the number of staff to man or operate in such area.
SAHCOL is billed N420, 000 for link road construction which is the duty of FAAN among other exorbitant costs billed airlines, cargo handling firms and others.
To them, the unacceptable financial burden placed on these companies, who are expected to earn profits for its owners, plough some resources back into their operations for rejuvenation, pay salaries and associated overheads have seriously been hindered.
They explained that the high cost of operations could to lead to downsizing and put in jeopardy four hundred jobs, citing heavy costs of operations.
They stated that it may interest the Minister to note that as partners with all these organisations, it is their duty to intervene in this manner by drawing his attention to this grievous matter, more so with its attendant consequences.
The letter signed by NUATE Secretary General, Olayinka Abioye said whereas “we affirm and have severally advised the Management of FAAN to engage in, and embark on increased internally generated revenue from non-aeronautical and ancillary sources, and whereas the Management of FAAN has deployed its attention in this direction, in conformity with its objectives, and whereas these handling companies, being operators of passengers and cargo handling services require conducive and environmentally friendly airports to fulfil their obligations to its numerous customers, which has continued to add value to FAAN.”
They called on FAAN to call all its business partners to a round table discussions on its incessant “hike in tariff’ to ensure that industrial harmony reigns within the system.
They carpeted the authority for not fully respecting the rights of its “ business partners” “ in consonance with international best practices, more so as provided for in Section ii of ICAO’s Policies on airport charges, where it was specifically stated that “ consultation with airport users before changes in charging systems or levels of changes are introduced is important.”
IFEOMA OKEKE
