Breaking: FEC Cancels Waivers Of Airport Access Fees For President, V/President Other VIPs 

-Sets Panel To Expedite Processes Of Visa Issuance

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has okayed the cancellation of waivers of Airports Access Fees for the President, Vice President and other senior government officials across the country.

The Council also set up a committee to expedite the process of visa issuance in the country to make it faster and more efficient

Briefing newsmen after the Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu this afternoon, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo said the Council approved the memo for all VIPs to pay Access Fees at the nation’s airports so as to improve the revenue generation for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

According to him, with the approval of the memo, the FAAN would generate additional revenue in excess of N10 billion annually from airports access fees.

The Minister disclosed that the policy would start by the end of June when all concerned would have been sensitized to comply accordingly.

He lamented that it was inconceivable that poor men were only paying for services while the rich don’t pay yet those VIP not paying were the ones raising issues about malfunctioning facilities at the airports.

He complained that 82 percent of the e-tax waivers being given to the VIPs  leading to a colossal loss of resources.

The Minister disclosed that the President volunteered to pay the access fees alongside his Vice during the presentation of the memo to the Council in order ensure total.compliance by all VIPs.

Minister of Informational and Nation’s Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who equally briefed told newsmen that the Council was worried by by the current slow pace of visa issuance in the country.

According to him, the long time required in the visa issuance processes had become embarrassing and hampering ease of doing business in the country

He said the committee was mandated to work on the e-visa policy to reduce the timing on the issuance of visa to 48 hours.

Idris said the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo gave a target of one.month to deliver the issuance of e-Visa to applicants in 48-hours maximum 
…details later