Cross-Border Trading: Stakeholder Urges Travel Agents To Seek FG’s Intervention

An aviation stakeholder, Olumide Ohunayo, has called on the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) to properly engage the federal government over cross-border trading of tickets.

LEADERSHIP reports that travel agents have raised the alarm, saying Nigeria is losing several billion dollars in taxes annually as cross-border ticket sales have led to over 40 per cent loss of indigenous market share to foreigners.

However, in an exclusive chat with LEADERSHIP,  Ohunayo, the general secretary, Aviation Round Table Initiative (ARTI), said the Travel agents should put up a strong position paper to the regulator and the National Assembly over the Act.

According to Ohunayo, Nigeria needs a fair fare that would also keep Nigerians’ jobs and ensure the government doesn’t lose taxes or revenue.

“If there is a violation of our national laws or unfair competition that is affecting travel agencies in Nigeria, or manipulation of fares that is against Nigerian travel Agencies, then the government should intervene.

“It’s not enough to address the press, NANTA should also put up a strong letter to the regulator, the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Aviation to continue to put pressure on the government.

“What we need is to have fair competition and good fares that ensure that travel agencies that have Nigeria as their base are not losing revenue, and Nigerians are also not losing their jobs. There is a need for NANTA to seek government’s proper intervention on the issue,” he stated.