‘Customs collects aircraft import charges but not Duty, VAT’

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday said it does not charge Customs duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) on the importation of aircraft and spare parts, but collects only the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and Comprehensive Imports Supervision Scheme (CISS) charges.

The Chairman of Air Peace Airline last week said he could not clear spare parts at the ports due to these charges, noting that the federal government has not implemented waiver granted on VAT and duty for imported aircraft and spares despite an Executive Order.

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However, the spokesman of Customs, Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah, in a statement clarified that Section 39 of the Second Schedule of the Finance Act 2020 as amended does not grant concession on CISS and ETLS. “The Act grants exemptions to Customs duty and VAT only.

“Such imports are therefore still required to pay appropriate charges on ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and Comprehensive Imports Supervision Scheme (CISS).

It was therefore in-line with the extant regulations that NCS did not collect duty and VAT on Air Peace recent import of E195-E2 with registration No. 5N-BYE but restricted itself to the collection of ETLS and CISS which amounted to N189 million,” it said.