By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has increased the collection of Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) from 3 per cent to 6 per cent.
Disclosing this on Thursday, the NSIB’s Director General, Mr Akin Olateru, said the bureau was entitled to 5 per cent of all Passenger Service Charge (PSC) from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
This is a change from what the bureau was collecting before (3 per cent) from the total 5 per cent of the TSC deducted from air passengers’ tickets. The sum is warehoused by the NCAA, which collects 58 per cent of the total charges.
With this new system, other private terminal operators like the Bi-Courtney Aviation Services (BASL) may be compelled to remit 5 per cent of the PSC to the coffers of NSIB.
Mr Olateru further explained that some percentages would also be collected from other modes of transportation like rail, maritime and road, since its jurisdiction now expands to those areas of transport. He said:
“A lot of work went into that Act that we have today. As it is approved today, NSIB gets 6 per cent from the TSC, 5 per cent from FAAN as PSC and any other terminal operator we have in the country.
“Also, we are entitled to some percentages from ticket sales from the railway and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). On our finances, I think we should be okay as soon as all these are completed.”
Also, Mr Olateru said that with the new status, NSIB would enhance its staff strength, which currently stands at 220.