SAHCOL appeals to FG on import tariff waiver

The Skyways Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) on Wednesday appealed to the federal government to allow ground handling companies in the aviation industry to benefit port tariff waiver.
Mr Oluropo Owolabi, the managing director of SAHCOL, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the waiver was being enjoyed by indigenous airlines.
He said that since the handling companies and the airlines operated in the same industry, the government should extend the waiver to handling companies to encourage them.
Owolabi said that the handling companies paid several millions of dollars as tariff on imported ground handling equipment with which they loaded and offloaded luggage into and from  aircraft .
NAN reports that ground handling companies are registered by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to load and offload luggage into and from aircraft.
Owolabi said it would be wrong for handling companies to be exempted from enjoying the waiver.
“One of the things that have been affecting us so far is the high tariff we pay on equipment that we import into the country which runs into millions of dollars.
“Our equipment that carries containers and loads them into waiting aircraft costs almost $950,000, and for each aircraft, you need about two of such equipment.
“If airlines can be given zero tariffs on equipment and aircraft, such a gesture should be extended to ground handling companies,” he said.
The official told NAN that, when completed, the company’s new warehouse under construction would facilitate handling of inbound and outbound luggage.
“It has reached 85% completion,’ ‘he said,’’ he said, adding that it would be operational by August.”
According to him, the scarcity of building materials and some other factors contributed to the delay in completing the project.
Owolabi said that, on completion, the warehouse  would be one of the biggest in Africa and the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa.