Accra, Aug. 5, GNA - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) would begin collecting revenue from airlines on behalf of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), from September 1.

This is the outcome of an Enhancement and Financing Service Agreement, signed between GCAA and IATA in Accra on Thursday.

Enhancement and Financing Services are offered by IATA to airport authorities, air navigation service providers and civil aviation authorities.

IATA provides invoices and collects airport charges, air navigation charges and ticket taxes.

Air Commodore Kwame Mamphey, Director General of GCAA, who signed for GCAA, said most of the more than 1,200 airlines from whom GCAA collected revenue from using its services, did not have their aircrafts landing at the Kotoka International Airport, making it difficult to retrieve revenue from them when they default in payment.

He noted that in addition to difficulty in retrieving debts from defaulting airlines, more personnel could now be utilised in other profitable areas.

Air Commodore Mamphey said that IATA was the most suitable institution to collect revenue from airlines.

He said that "a major challenge facing the GCAA is debt collection. We set off to resolve that problem and we have achieved our goal".

"With several airlines operating in the country, an effective means of revenue collection from them is crucial to the operations of GCAA", Air Commodore Mamphey said.

Mr Arnaud Francq, Director of Industry Payment Services, IATA, who signed for IATA, said it was part of measures to inject more efficiency in developing countries.

He said that IATA had been performing such functions for several years to assist several stakeholders in the aviation industry, as well as several civil aviation authorities in the world.

"With our experience and expertise, we seek to make air transport more competitive and efficient," Mr Francq said.