Nigeria Customs has grounded a US-registered Gulfstream G650ER jet belonging to a prominent Nigerian bank.
The move demonstrates the commencement of clampdowns on private jet owners over unpaid import duties that amount to billions of naira.
The development comes two weeks after Nigeriaâs Customs began a one-month verification exercise for private jet owners in Nigeria. The exercise started on June 19, 2024, and will end on July 19, 2024.
Nigeria Customs stated via a public notice that the exercise aims to identify private jet owners who illegally imported their aircraft into Nigeria without paying import duties.
According to reports, Customs recovered about N2 billion in Nigerian treasury when it carried out a similar exercise in 2019.
About 80 private jet owners in Nigeria are expected to present their import documents and aircraft certificates of registration to the Customs in Abuja during the exercise.
Punch reports that the grounding of private jets will begin one month after the verification exercise.
Findings show that operators have begun moves to export and commercialize their aircraft, prompting the Customs to start the clampdown.
Customs disclosed recently that some private jet owners of foreign-registered jets were temporarily flying their aircraft out of the country to evade the exercise.
The grounded Gulfstream jet belonging to a tier-1 bank reportedly owes about N1.9 billion.
Sources say Customs has written to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to cancel the flight clearance for the aircraft.
TimesNow.com.ng previously reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has adjusted Nigeria Customs FX rates for cargo clearance in Nigeriaâs ports.
Checks on the Customs trade portal show that the apex bank slashed the price from N1,505 to N1,470,191 to dollar.
This development means that importers will pay less to clear cargo from Nigeriaâs ports, effective from the time the change was made.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
