The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is implementing the manifest module of TRIPS as part of its continued effort to improve clearance times for goods imported while ensuring transparency.
The GRA said the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) will supplement the recently introduced risk management system where only consignments flagged by TRIPS are subject to valuation, classification and goods inspection checks, therefore reducing the steps the current manual system uses.
The TRIPS programme became operational in January 2007 with the introduction of the value-added and excise tax. Considering this, and in accordance with Section 67 of the Customs Act, Chapter 82:01 and the Customs (Advance Passenger and Cargo Information) Regulations 2007, the master of any aircraft or ship or his agent which is expected to arrive in Guyana, must provide advance cargo manifests on board aircraft or ships in printed format as previously prescribed, by “An XML electronic file adhering to the schema detailed at Appendix A as supplemented by the annotated schema at Appendix B.” These appendices and the sample file will be made available on the GRA’s website at www.revenuegy.org
The release said the information applies to both cargo intended for discharge in Guyana and cargo not intended for discharge; it must be submitted no later than: 15 minutes after departure from the last port of call in the case of a commercial aircraft; 30 minutes prior to departure from the last port of call in the case of a private aircraft; 24 hours prior to arrival if it is arriving from outside the domestic space; one hour prior to the arrival of the aircraft ship from the last port of call if it is arriving from a destination within the domestic airspace. The GRA said “domestic airspace” includes the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. It also said the required information must be submitted to the Commissioner, Customs and Trade Administration from February 1.
The GRA said notwithstanding the requirements in the law, the master of any ship or aircraft or his agent is encouraged to submit the required information as soon as it becomes available or at the earliest opportunity thereafter, providing that it is not submitted after the specified times.
In addition, the GRA advises persons seeking more information on the XML schema, annotated schema and a sample file to make a request at its Information Technology (IT) Department. For further clarification Customs or the IT department can be contacted.