THE National Airports Corporation (NAC) this week has announced the introduction of a levy to be paid by passengers. The levy is meant for infrastructure development, specifically on the airports it administers country-wide.
The aviation infrastructure and development levy, which comes into effect on September 1, this year, is targeting all departing passengers.
According to figures made available to the media, domestic passengers will be paying K26, 400 while those embarking on international flights will have to pay K54, 800. This is in addition to the departure fee and airport taxes that in most cases have be incorporated into the air tickets fares.
All charges will be payable before departure.
NACL is a parastatal company which is 100% owned by the Government of the Republic Of Zambia. It was established in 1989 through the amendment of the Aviation Act and incorporated under the Companies Act Chapter 388 Volume 25 of the Laws of Zambia.
The Corporation was established to develop, maintain and manage the four designated international airports, namely Lusaka, Ndola, Livingstone and Mfuwe and provision of air navigation services throughout Zambia.
Why charge the travellers twice when the tickets contain 70% as government tax.
You have paid to collect dues from Nchito et.el and now you want the general public to foot the bill.
hey check this out, Zambia have few nationals abroad, coz its expensive to travel, Zambian market is bad for aviation business coz flights leave empty and this levy will reduce a few traveling zambian and visitors, first u need to boost the industry before thinking of making money.
You have failed to collect money owed by Mmembe and Nchito.
Why should passengers pay for your infrastructure development? It’s high time we opposed to such nonsense. This is a total failure as national Airports is a Company that should be profitable. Fire the CEO and let others take over. What a shame that we always go backward.
Zambia is not standing on its legs unless it reposses all the mine. Alot of monies are going into the Chinese accounts leaving Zambians watching helpless. Even game views pay in SA while the Zambian wildlife society gets gate fees only ALAS :(
We tried in the Kaunda days and it all went horribly wrong. We spend more time wondering how to deal with flooding water underground than digging the ore and the little proceeds were used to pay Govt salaries with no recapitalization. In the end we sold them back to the “experts” for peanuts. If we did again, they will end up like Zamtel with people like Willy Nsanda on the board. From KMB bus stop to over seeing an international business? Somehow I think not!
This looks like a rip off by govt.
This is just a fund raising venture for a hollow project, with no structures in place for accountability.
Don’t treat the travelling public like the school PTAs used to manipulate parents.
Lets just call it “Airport infrastructure fraud”
Rubbish, rubbish, rubbiish.
Madness of the highest order runs even in smaller heads,. Go ahead and achieve please
Everyone wants a better airport; but no one wants to pay for it; typical dilema for any government. For me, the charge is fine; one that is not prohibitively expensive. And they have been transparent in the way they have announced it; and why they need it. Some governments would have done a stealth tax as has been the case with fuel pump prices. Question is would anyone be scared of going back to Zambia because of the 55pin surcharge?
Spot on brother. Zambians complain much, the funny part of it is that, they do it without tthinking.
55pin may be small change for you because you are a seasonal X-mas traveller, to a tourist 55pin equates to $12 which our competitors in Kenya and Tanzania are not charging. For SME and businesses that use the airport frequently these are additional costs.
I don’t think that you ever use airplanes.
We pay taxes for the tickets, departure fees, and now infrastructure fees?
And you say it’s ok?
Will government officials be paying too from their pockets?
Cs; its not about my travelling or knowing the pricing mechanism for air tickets. Its about taxation. Zambia has a large potential tax base but the cost of enlarging it outweighs the benefit. Unfortunately pal, we do not decide who will pay what tax and what for; government through its institutions does that. NAC can borrow and spend upfront; but how will they know if they can repay the loan? Best financial model is to test the waters, and i think as soon as they see the probable revenue from travellers they will embark on redevelopment of the airport. Such is how it hurts; even I dont like to pay for it; but who will be the right person do pay for if we the users of the airport do not pay for it? Teachers in the village?
FOOLISH! FOOLISH! FOOLISH!
This is when you have realized that the infrastructure is poor? and you want to slap that on poor passengers?
I assure you that levy will end up in the pockets of individuals. by the way do you know airport workers ask {beg} money from the travelling popular s? Worse if you happen to lose your luggage. Just directing you and opening those secured door, they milk for the job they are paid for. In Europe, when my bag went missing,they brought it to my door step and never ask for money, we don’t even pay the infrastructure development levy when leaving their countries. Its only in our country,with very poor services at the airport and you are introducing more levies. it shows how much you have failed as NAC. SHAME! SHAME!
Invest in health, energy & education. 50 wasted years of independence is enough to learn something. If you can’t think you can at least copy strategies from developed countries. Currently all indicators show that our leaders are a total failure. No planning just dreaming and acting on impulse. The population of Zambia has grown so much since 1964, but unfortunately, the country has not seen the supporting infrastructure and government plans to go with, the result is a small work force around 15% of the population paying for 85% of the population. The only income generating activities government engages in are increasing taxes everywhere (e.g mine, airports, energy, telco etc without proper planning, analysis and strategic investment in the growth the country’s industries.
Total Rubbish. What mechanism has been put in place to avoid abuse of the same monies?
Ok but provide some analysis.What infrastructure improvements are perceived? What will utterly cost and west US expected to be collected monthly groom this levy etc.
Where does the tax that we currently pay go? KK airport looks like it needs tractors to mow the grass. This govt has failed to run the economy.
@mashilarro,exactly,where is the current tax going?
Ministry of Communication and Transport is loaded with new vehicles all the time.
Every plane that lands and takes off pays some fees.
GRZ officials travel the most and i bet they will be accorded exemption.
This is another piece of rubbish!!! GRZ already has enough base for revenue collection, the problem is bad management of things at play here. Someone has hinted already here about the astronomical flight fares. The GRZ is already raking money on landing and takeoff charges for these many international operators (since we only have one airplane with Zambezi). Its just so unfair anyway you look at it, and please don’t hide in the name of investment…. damnnnn…..
And you expect to attract tourism with all these numerous hideous charges? Sata and Co. should have used the money the used to increase their wages to such infrastructural developmental issues; just imagine if the froze their salaries just for one year. If I was Minister of Transport; I would push for fragmenting National Airports Corporation (NAC) into 3 or 4 competing quasi government Airport Management bodies to manage the four designated international airports, namely Lusaka, Ndola, Livingstone and Mfuwe. Let the Management boards negotiate their own deals with airlines….its time to move with the times.
Imwe bamakaka develop the infrastructure and start charging the levy, and i will be more than happy pay that.
Kibinda waba Kabwa
55pin may be small change for you because you are a seasonal X-mas traveller, to a tourist 55pin equates to $12 which our competitors in Kenya and Tanzania are not charging, that determines on which destination to choose especially if you are a group or large family. For SME and businesses that use the airport frequently these are additional costs.
Jay Jay, with or without $12; the competition in the tourism industry is negatively skewed towards Zambia because of location if you take Europe as a reference point. I do understand the frastrations that people have over the issue; however, am happy that they have made an announcement so that we are not caught napping. If MMD won the elections they would have gone ahead to offer 50 year concession to a Turkish firm which would have resulted in more taxes on the traveller. These taxes are everywhere, except some countries hide them a lot. Am sure you have travelled Ryan air or Easy jet
What is the use of airport taxes/departure fees that you have collected for many years? Why a second airport tax/departure fee? Why should foreign nationals have to pay for a strictly Zambian infrastructure? Does this make sense?
Zambia is becoming expensive for what? Visa fees, airport departure fees plus taxes, and now, infrastructure fee.
bandani
Spot on…upgrade these airports and then charge the travelling public just like ZNBC recapitalise it then increase the levies. People will happily pay for it…would you be happy to go to a 5 star hotel pay 5 star rates only find its motel standard after paying…when you complain you are told that the hotel is raising money for refurbishment hence the high rates.
bandani
Spot on…upgrade these airports and then charge the travelling public just like ZNBC recapitalise it then increase the levies. People will happily pay for it…would you be happy to go to a 5 star hotel pay 5 star rates only find its motel standard after paying…when you complain you are told that the hotel is raising money for refurbishment hence the high rates..
More money out of your pockets.
These are the fool.s who stopped the Turkish company Guras from building a modern hospital. These Kasai are destroying the country!
Trust me, this departure has long been done away with. I was caught unaware flying out of Kamuzu banda when they demanded $30 or else you dont fly. Luckily, i had my credit card. Imagine when you are all spent out and somebody comes demanding hefty monies. I also had a problem with kazungula border whilst driving through when they wanted council levy. I had to call the council secretary whilst roaming to ask why he wanted council levy when he didnt have a public toilet on the border. Explore other fundraising models.
Poor management we yet have to realize what the tv levy has achieved
those of us who regularly travell out the country we see how empty planes leave our airports.These levies will not be very good at all
What other national airport authorities do is charge a single levy to cover all airport fees which also cover infrastural development,this levy is included in the cost of air tickets charged by airlines and is remitted to the respective national airport management authorities accounts by the airlines so that people don’t have to go and pay a separate fee at the airport like it’s always been the case in Zambia where you queue up to pay 70 pin or whatever it is the NAC charge at Lusaka
Do you mean we will go back to queuing on a small window to pay this levy before we check in? I hope not please.
Rubbish! arent we paying enough tax in the ticket! amano ububi!
Twalimwebele twati tapaba Planning. One day we shall wake up and find that there’s walking fee. Where does departures go? Awe mwe.!!
This has been long overdue, thanks to management of NACL, just tighten accountability. International routes should have been categorised as within Africa continent 54 pin , outside Africa continent 100 pin. In china we pay construction fee, oil fee and insurance so why not in zambia
Zambia is a hopeless place. This money will not be used on infrastructure. Maybe we will see an ugly coat of poor quality oil paint. The rest will be pocketed!
More money in their pockets! No infrastructure will be developed. Its a scheme to line their pockets. These guys don’t learn. I hope stakeholders were consulted and this will not be another decision that will be reversed.
Can’t you first collect what Mmembe & Nchito owe you & immediately use that money to build a modern Ndola Airport which you can deservedly name after Kapwepwe. Kapwepwe must be turn in his grave for associating his great name to that contraption named after him in Ndola.
its not mmembe or nchito we are talking about,we need the infrastracture first before we are charged coz even the road tax we pay has not shown any good to appreciate it
Build the ultraModern Airport first and then charge when people have seen your efforts machende yanu. Mumembe and Nchito owe you fools a fortune and you cant see that dunderheads. I rest my case!
Daylight robbery, this money is going to someones pocket straight.50 per cent of airline tickets compose of Airport tax, so y additional?? Thieves.
And just look at the grass. Ati airport kwisa? This is just a bush in some remote Zambia. Just like shabby this and that. I am thinking of Labour and and that other Minister…Shakeni! Aha thats the fool. This so-called airport is just a bush and who can pay for such a shabby looking airport. These chaps are just on fundraising campaign for their next elections. Mwajaila agalu anu! I rest my case!
The article suggests that NACL was incorporated in 1989 to do just that! 23 yrs later you want to introduce another levy for the same purpose. Would it not be in order for the Govt to detail where and how the money collect in 23 yrs has been used to develop the four airports. I have no doubt that this money is diverted into business and first class travel for ministers. Parastatal companies do not function as a business enterprise and are merely another Govt tool for enriching the ministers and their favoured ones.
RB was on the right track in terms of Airport development. He invited a Turkish company to build a morden airport in return they would manage it for 50 years in which they would recover their investment. Somehow CNP saw this as a national security risk and pulled the plug.
got better things to do with my 54 pini than put more money in someones pocket
And you wonder why foreign tourists do not want to go Zambia. Anyway, maybe this will help to modernize the airport and that we will have at least an ATM at out biggest air. Queuing in the bank at the airport to access cash is old fashioned and by the time you are attended to, you will be lucky if you don’t miss your flight.
Dongo
When was the last time you were in Zambia? There is atleast a Barclays Bank ATM at Lsk, Ndola, L’stone and Mfuwe. And that’s been a few years now.
When was the last time you were home???
The population is small guys,(how many people fly annually in Zambia) it will take another 23 years to rise the money they want to rise. Poseniko amono ba National Airports Corporation. Come up with sometime,anyway its Zambia formerly known as Northern Rhodesia.
This was probably suggested by a Bemba. Kambwili, GBM or Chikwanda.
To land a small private four seater cessna 172, you pay parking fees of $7.00 per hour. Imagine you are in zambia for 72 hours, this translates to $504 in parking fees minus other exorbitant yet unjustifiable costs
levies just add to the tax burden which we are paying too macfh of already. Let Government collect VAT in Kamwala, where Chinese and Indians are making billions a day and not paying a ngwee in taxes especially the Moslems who do not take money to the bank. The informal sector should also be targeted for tax then there will be less need for these levies. The other thing to not is that most probably this money will just contribute to paying salaries. Look at ZNBC and check what the levy is used for, even fuel levy has been finding its way to other expenditure items
Its good that these guys tell us that they will be stealing from us.how nice to know before they steal
Ba GRZ Why did u scrap hospital user fees? Don’t they require maintenance…whose money are you using to maintain them?
Now that minimum wage is up bring back hospital user fees….
Consider offering free medical and educational facilities in rural areas so that idle people can trek back to the land and open your youth state farms there….
It’s naive for KWA government to think they can develop airport infrastructure with pennies. Take the charge for international passages departing from our airports, that translates to about $12.00. All our airports put together handle less than a million passages in a year, it will take centuries to raise enough money to put up infrastructure of world class.
Our airport can only be developed in our situation with monies from the fiscus .
THIS IS A VERY GOOD MOVE by government even in western countries we pay lots of taxes for the infrastructure to be maintained and for more to be built. People always complain about high taxes. Let people continue to complain and let government collect the tax and lets see development. People will never stop complaining.Even if government was to introduce 50 cents tax people will still complain.
Rubish,wait and see what happens to the tourist industry,its total madnes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is CRAZINESS..pay as you earn isnt enough.NOW ur want to tax our holiday money…
WHAT infrustructure??? u can only pay for the infrustructure when they have belt en not this MADNESS of raising money from us.build first en come with these taxes later..
Another reason why I shouldn’t travel to Zambia. You can’t raise billions needed to build infrastructure at the KK international airport when you can barely record 1 million passengers through out the year that pass through that joke of an International Airport. Tie your infrastructure development to the mineral wealth in the country not passengers who are heavily taxed. people will only travel to Zambia when there is need. Truth be told even if we had 10 million passengers passing through KK International 7 tax collected, this money wouldn’t even see the light on infrastructure development. Spineless leadership lack of vision and most importantly Ubu ng’o on a large scale.
yayayayaa..pf there we go!!
What is the use of airport taxes/departure fees that you have collected for many years?????? I agree with bloggers. Fire the CEO seems he/she has run out of ideas this is day light robbery from travelling persons. Why should foreigners pay for your infrastructure development??? Are you saying they should not even travel cause you are still developing the infrastructure??? Can you account for all the moneys you have been collecting all these years???? This is abosulute rubbish.
The next this you will say is that …1) you will now explore the introduction road maintanance fee for all people entering Zambia in all border including pedenstrians and cyclist and those entering by bus. You can see the level of your thinking??? What diffenece will it be with Road users??? This is total insane.
The UK is already charging u an extra £120 to £680 in Air Passenger Duty for a family of 4 going out of the UK and you don’t complain. When your own institution wants to develop infrastructure that you will use you say all sorts of things. Worse still you call KK International Airport names, but still crave for better services.
Njekwa
Are you paid by PF? Seriously, Your school of thought is amazing. First the British Govt does not run the UK airports. They are in private hands with BAA managing the major ones. Secondly we all pay airport taxes (and i personally complain but i see where it goes) which Govt takes its share and of course BAA etc. We also pay taxes in Zambia which is included in your ticket price and this goes to NACL. Now here is the point you are missing -NACL was set up 23yrs ago to develop 4 airports through the taxes collected. The question is: where is the money collected in 23 yrs? And how long will it take Govt to raise the billions of USD if you have less than a million airport users per year?
I fail to understand why us Zambians are critical of anything our government plans to do without analysing the issue at hand. Most of the bloggers are critical of the issue due to ignorance, as many countries charge this levy to develop their airports like the UK & Canada and I have paid this levy a number of times. So what is wrong with Zambia charging this levy??
There are several wrong things with this announcement.
1. You already pay these taxes which are included in your ticket price just as you do in Canada or the UK.
2. The article also says that the same company NACL was set up 23 yrs ago to do the same thing use the airport taxes you pay. 23yrs on, nothing has changed at Ndola and Lusaka, so where has this money gone? And what will stop this new tax going the same way?
3. How long will it take to raise the billions of USD required for a modern airport structure if you have less than a million users per year?
Do some thinking and analysis before you post your blogs…
Our country will never develop due to the learned LOT full of theory. You know it all but CAN NOT give us alternative plans to improve our infrastructure. You are learning about this development now because YOU do not travel. We have seen these notice from NAC and we will pay as it will assist in raising funds to improve our airports. Why cant you wait for a year or so to follow up on how much funds have been raised and how it has been used? Most of you have been to school but UBUTUTU nilekaleka. Zambia does not just need more MONEY to develop but we also need to change OUR MINDSETS.
for those who cant see whats wrong. let me simplify its like paying parking fee at a run down parking lot with a big sign on top saying ” parking at owners risk.” i dont mind paying that money at Canadian airports or british airport they hav given me a reason to. if today the Zambian governent was to decide say to expand the major e.g great east great north and make them really great say dual carriage there by making them safer which they are capale of doing and then decide to hike Road tax i dont think there is a Zambian who would complain. because the government would hav given you a reason why you are paying that much road tax. instead all u see is unprecidented development during an election year honestly wouldnt you resist.
# 62 u are spot on! If the govt can start by giving a reason why and the practically improve the physical infrastructure o single Zambian traveling through KKIA would refuse to pay! As it is, the pocket into which this fund goes in is hollow! It s a bottomless pit which will ever end! First build the state of the art infrastructure then no one will murmur.
You refused the Turkish Company to remodel and develop the airport, did you have plan B? If this new charge was your plan B then you have failed! Go and raise the funds from the markets and then build then start charging to recover the costs!
Such level of thinking is really retarded. NACL has failed to collect monies owed to it by certain airlines. Zambian Airways closed owing them alot of money. They have to operate like a private company. How do other Airport companies operate. If you want to develop infrastructure get a bank loan for crying out loud. We need business people at the helm of this company.
Its a good move. we really need good infrastructure. I just hope that money wont be pocketed by greedy individuals. We want transparency and we will make noise if we don’t see better airports
This is actually far less than what the Airports Company of South African(ACSA) charges on passengers. They have got all sorts of passenger levy’s and service charges. That’s why their airports look super good.
You cannot compare ACSA with our KKIA. I do not complain when I pay taxes at ACSA becos I see what I am paying for. They raised money from the markets and then built the airport and then they start collecting to repay. This is what we want. I first passed through the airport in Lusaka in 1991. The taxes have been paid since then today and where does all the money go to? What has happened when not a single improvement has been made? Govt need to go PPP route and partner with the private sector. There is danger in collecting the funds before you build because you might not just built as funds are diverted to other causes!
You cannot compare ACSA with our KKIA. I do not complain when I pay taxes at ACSA becos I see what I am paying for. They raised money from the markets and then built the airport and then they start collecting to repay. This is what we want. I first passed through the airport in Lusaka in 1991. The taxes have been paid since then today and where does all the money go to? What has happened when not a single improvement has been made? Govt need to go PPP route and partner with the private sector. There is danger in collecting the funds before you build because you might not just built as funds are diverted to other causes!
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