The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will from May 4 put into operation a new and standard compliance certificate which it is confident contains enough security features to prevent any corruption.

The GRA usually issues the certificates for land, motor vehicles, tender compliance, tax practice and officers, indicating that the applicant has fulfilled their obligations under the Income Tax Act and has paid all taxes due and payable to the Commissioner General.  The GRA will now issue a standard computer-generated document with particulars dependent on the specific application.

Deputy Head of the Tax Operation and Services Division Trevington Bowen explained that the new move was part of the body’s modernization programme and will see the production of the compliance document at a faster rate and by a simpler process. When an application is made and specific information entered into the computerized system, instant taxpayer information as well as taxpayer liability is revealed.

He said too that the body was satisfied at the testing phase, through which the new document was taken and pointed out that the system will be continuously monitored.

The current certificates are colour-coded with the GRA logo and contain the signatures of the commissioner general and the appropriate officer. The standard document will also contain these security features

Meanwhile, the issue of corruption arose after an officer attached to the Ministry of Finance pointed out that many contractors have submitted fake compliance certificates when tendering for government contracts. There was not much defence in this regard but Bowen insisted that there were many security features aside from those visible to prevent corruption.

The certificates will also continue to be issued in the three counties with unique security features.