In furtherance of the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria, all revenue collecting agencies of government at the nations airports will no longer been handling cash for any payment by customers, investors, tourists, visitors and others.
To this end, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has put all necessary arrangements in place to commence the cashless transactions across airports in the country.
According to the General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu in a chat with newsmen in Lagos said this would help to foster ease of payment, create payment options and improve the speed and convenience of payment.
She explained that the initiative which was designed under the Presidential Enabling Environment Business Council PEBEC, was to ensure convenience and curb corruption, identify revenue areas like the car parks, cargo section, chartered /unscheduled flights among others where the exercise would affect.
According to Mrs Yakubu , the decision to adopt digital payment was as a result of the success of the Executive Order of the Federal Government geared toward creating an enabling business environment in the country especially within the airports as entry points into the country.
According to Mrs Yakubu, the cashless transactions would reduce the carrying of cash as transactions would be made in different ways such as the use of the POS, money transfers adding that Remita agents have also been positioned strategically at various points across the airports.
She explained that it was to ensure that those doing business at the airports were not harassed but furnished with accurate information on what and where to pay at every point in time.
According to Mrs Yakubu, Visa on arrival which had commenced at the airport was was part of the Ease of Doing Business adding that the digital payment was another feat to be achieved.
Mrs Yakubu noted that at the end, it will be a win – win situation for both FAAN and customers adding that the agency had been repositioned to provide more improved services for customers, adding that sensitization of the general public using electronic media and the newspapers as well as the social media.
“It will help FAAN to eliminate leakages and further increase revenue base of the organization. No government official will handle cash during transactions when the exercise takes off. We are soliciting the cooperation of all airport users, concessionaires and the general public to ensure a hitch free exercise”
