Lagos (Lagos State) – The Federal Government has been advised to remove landing costs for carriers of perishable items in order to encourage exportation in the country.
Mr Herbert Odika, the Chief Executive Officer, FMC Aviation Services, gave the advice while speaking with aviation correspondents in Lagos on Wednesday.
Odika said the removal of the landing costs would lure carriers of perishable goods to enter the Nigerian market and also encourage more farmers to go into export business.
According to him, it is time for Nigeria to increase exportation of its items while government should learn to concession taxes.
He noted that the volume of cargo importation had dropped drastically, adding that the government should take advantage of the situation by creating an enabling environment for exportation.
Odika said the current economic challenge in Nigeria had prompted some carriers to re-assess their coming into the country for operations.
“If you are flying your aircraft at 50 per cent load factor, you will go back and reassess the profitability of coming into the country. It is not only about signing agreements. It is profit oriented.
“There is a lot of meltdown, especially in the area of cargo and with the current exchange rate in the financial world, it’s not profitable to import now.
“I think it is an opportunity for people to go into export, the market has now digressed from import to export.’’
Odika also decried double taxation and arbitrary increments in charges by aviation agencies, stating that it was another factor hindering cargo operations in the country. (NAN)