2 July 2009
Botswana has the lowest civil aviation charges in the region because it has not reviewed the levies for over a decade, senior aviation officials have said.
The chief executive officer of Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) Meshesha Belayneh and the finance director, Patrinah Masalela told a consultation meeting with stakeholders in Maun recently that they have decided to review charges to bring them to international levels.
"The fact of the matter is that in Botswana, some civil aviation regulatory charges have not been reviewed for over 10 years," Belayneh said.
He explained that the reasons for the delay are many though the government and stakeholders have over time recognised the pressing need to align civil aviation charges in Botswana with international standards leading to the formation of CAAB. "Such changes bring with them new approaches of doing business by following sound commercial principles." He added that these principles might be difficult to accept in the short term, but they will ultimately help CAAB to implement new systems and to train staff.
"We are not just reviewing charges because everybody else is doing so, or because we last reviewed them years ago. We are reviewing them...because we have promised you new and improved airport terminals, new runways, new communication equipment and improved service by our staff," he told the review of charges meeting with stakeholders. He noted that these developments are expensive and need the contribution of stakeholders because "all of us have to share costs and all of us have to win somehow".
He pointed out that the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2004 requires that where appropriate, CAAB consults with stakeholders, hence the meeting. He added that the purpose of the meeting was to review charges for aircraft parking and landing as well as air navigation and regulatory charges.
The CAAB director of finance, Masalela explained that en-route navigation charges were introduced in 1999 and have never been reviewed. This is despite the fact that there have been major currency movements and rise in the cost of living index in Botswana during the same period.
Masalela added that the proposed increases in civil aviation charges were meant to compensate depreciation in revenue. She stated that the 50 percent increase in en-route navigation charges would bring the revenue to the 1999 levels in US dollar terms.
"The impact of the current financial crisis cannot be underestimated in the airline industry, or on other industries. However, it should be noted that airlines still have to pay for services provided for them and Botswana facilities are no exception." She appealed for the support of stakeholders to allow Botswana to bring its charges in line with regional charges. CAAB chairman Gobusamang Keebine told the stakeholders that what is needed is a complete overhaul of the entire civil aviation system of Botswana including the development of new regulations, facilities and efficient service delivery.
He asserted that the government understandably took heed to the concerns of players in the aviation industry and established CAAB. He acknowledged that CAAB is still new and far from achieving most of its goals and establishing higher standards. "For a service provider to be discussing reviewing of charges with customers might sound absurd to some, but not to us. CAAB consults.
" We are not prescriptive." He added that CAAB holds its stakeholders "in very high esteem because we genuinely share the same concerns of safety, security and efficiency.
" We have to strengthen our civil aviation systems especially because most of your customers are aware of trends in world civil aviation.
"They know what is going on. They can no longer be satisfied with meagre service and it is incumbent upon us to see to it that we exceed their expectations," he said.
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