Chama cha Kimataifa cha Usafiri wa Anga (IATA) kilionya kwamba kiasi cha fedha za mashirika ya ndege kwa ajili ya kurejeshwa nyumbani kinachozuiwa na serikali kimeongezeka kwa zaidi ya 25% (dola milioni 394) katika miezi sita iliyopita. Jumla ya pesa zilizozuiwa sasa zinakaribia $2.0 bilioni. IATA inatoa wito kwa serikali kuondoa vizuizi vyote kwa mashirika ya ndege kurudisha mapato yao kutokana na mauzo ya tikiti na shughuli zingine, kulingana na makubaliano ya kimataifa na majukumu ya mkataba.
IATA is also renewing its calls on Venezuela to settle the $3.8 billion of airline funds that have been blocked from repatriation since 2016 when the last authorization for limited repatriation of funds was allowed by the Venezuelan government.
"Kuzuia mashirika ya ndege kurudisha fedha nyumbani kunaweza kuonekana kuwa njia rahisi ya kukusanya hazina zilizopungua, lakini hatimaye uchumi wa ndani utalipa bei kubwa. Hakuna biashara inayoweza kuendeleza kutoa huduma ikiwa haiwezi kulipwa na hii sio tofauti kwa mashirika ya ndege. Viungo hewa ni kichocheo muhimu cha kiuchumi. Kuwezesha urejeshaji wa mapato kwa ufanisi ni muhimu kwa uchumi wowote kusalia na uhusiano wa kimataifa na masoko na minyororo ya ugavi,” alisema Willie Walsh, Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa IATA.
Fedha za mashirika ya ndege zimezuiwa kurudishwa nyumbani katika zaidi ya nchi na maeneo 27.
Masoko matano ya juu yaliyo na fedha zilizozuiwa (bila kujumuisha Venezuela) ni:
• Nigeria: $551 million
• Pakistan: $225 million
• Bangladesh: $208 million
• Lebanon: $144 million
• Algeria: $140 million
Nigeria
Jumla ya fedha za ndege zilizozuiwa kurejeshwa nchini Nigeria ni $551 milioni. Masuala ya kurejesha makwao yaliibuka Machi 2020 wakati mahitaji ya fedha za kigeni nchini yalipozidi usambazaji na benki za nchi hazikuweza kurejesha fedha.
Licha ya changamoto hizi mamlaka ya Nigeria yamekuwa yakishirikiana na mashirika ya ndege na, pamoja na sekta hiyo, wanafanya kazi kutafuta hatua za kutoa fedha zinazopatikana.
“Nigeria is an example of how government-industry engagement can resolve blocked funds issues. Working with the Nigerian House of Representatives, Central Bank and the Minister of Aviation resulted in the release of $120 million for repatriation with the promise of a further release at the end of 2022. This encouraging progress demonstrates that, even in difficult circumstances, solutions can be found to clear blocked funds and ensure vital connectivity,” said Kamil Al-Awadhi as Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East.
Venezuela
Airlines have also restarted efforts to recover the $3.8 billion of unrepatriated airline revenues in Venezuela. There have been no approvals of repatriation of these airline funds since early 2016 and connectivity to Venezuela has dwindled to a handful of airlines selling tickets primarily outside the country. In fact, between 2016 and 2019 (the last normal year before COVID-19) connectivity to/from Venezuela plummeted by 62%. Venezuela is now looking to bolster tourism as part of its COVID-19 economic recovery plan and is seeking airlines to restart or expand air services to/from Venezuela. Success will be much more likely if Venezuela is able to instill confidence in the market by expeditiously settling past debts and providing concrete assurances that airlines will not face any blockages to future repatriation of funds.
