NavCom Fees Still Collected from ABAA

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Thursday, 14 February 2013 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St. John's - More than one month after Civil Aviation Minister John Maginley announced that his ministry would be reviewing the system that allows for the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) to collect navigational fees (NavCom), talks have yet to be held.

Airport CEO Stanley Smith told Caribarena earlier this week that the tax collection process, as it relates to ECCAA, remains unchanged, with the ABAA still paying the proceeds collected from aircrafts directly to the Authority bypassing  government channels.

In December Minister Maginley had said that the system allowing for the ECCAA to circumvent the natural process of tax collection, and subsequent distribution through government channels, was one that would be reviewed.

Currently, Antigua and Barbuda is the only ECCAA regulated state that pays 100 percent of NavCom fees over to the ECCAA and it is the only country to allow for direct collection.

According to Smith, as far as he was aware, the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has not issued any directives to alter this process and it is not something that the Airport Authority would want to interfere with until such directives have been issued.

Smith also pointed out that in other jurisdictions, NavCom fees collected are re-injected into the development of Air Traffic Control and general navigational needs.

“ I have seen this practice before, and in collecting, it also goes toward the improvement of the service. So navigation fees usually goes toward ATCs equipment, improving navigational infrastructure and other things – that is what I am accustomed to,” Smith said.

He added that he has yet to see how these funds are disseminated.

NavCom fees collected across the OECS member states fund the ECCAA operations almost entirely.

Reports however, suggest that Antigua is not the only state to pay 100 percent of its collection to ECCAA and is in most cases, the most compliant, with other states reportedly only “pledging” to contribute some 60 percent of their NavCom fees.

Minister Maginley said recently that the system was in place when his government took office, and it is a matter currently under review.

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