Dear Members,
NCAA has proven it has a
listening leadership and receptive ears; we will continue to build on our good
relationship with NCAA, it is our regulatory Authority and deserving of
our respect and support.
Following several meetings between
NANTA leadership and NCAA and immediately after Dr. Pinheiro's (SAN)
presentation at the end of year gathering of Lagos Zone, NCAA officially
communicated approval of an Industry Compliance Committee as severally
requested by NANTA. The committee will be supervised and enforced by the firm
grip of the Authority. NANTA has been given the mandate to constitute the
committee which will have representation from Airlines, GDS Companies, and
NANTA.
NANTA requested for this committee
because we are exhausted; any time there is a bad or erroneous practice in the
sector (particularly around fictitious bookings among many others) the Airlines
are always quick to push the blame and penalties to Agents. ADMs have now
become a major revenue stream of Airlines and are dished out at will to Travel
Agents. Some Airlines have poor refund policies and still hold on to refunds of
some Travel Agent's for over 2 years. We do not need to mention names
here.
Since it is obvious that IATA does
not represent the commercial interest of Travel Agents, who are a key SME
segment of the Nigerian Economy, we need to seek protection under the laws and
authority of the land.
The commercial and reputational
costs of penalties, poor refund policies, and simple correspondence to IATA are
becoming unbearable and if we do not start to push back, we would become
extinct. We will advocate and push back, but in so doing, we MUST be
disciplined, focused, and professional.
Summary of the Roles of the
Industry Compliance Committee are as Follows:
This committee is backed by the
enforcement authority of NCAA. NCAA will sit as observer/umpire to
representatives from Airlines, GDS Companies, and NANTA. Summary of the roles
of the Committee are as follows:
1) The Committee will enforce
diligence of all sector practitioners (Airlines, GDS Companies, Travel Agents)
2) The Committee will throw up
insights into the sources and incentives which encourage malpractices in the
travel sector
3) The Committee will
encourage the exchange of knowledge and expertise that will assist
effective monitoring, checks, balances, and regulation.
4) The Committee will call all
sector practitioners and players to order whenever the need arises.
Congratulations, dear Members, this
is a major step forward, in lieu of our Act, and we will keep moving as a
collective body. It may take time, but we will get there.
One NANTA!
Warm Regards,
Susan Akporiaye (Mrs)
NANTA National President
By - Admin
By - Admin
By - Admin