The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) yesterday announced that a new system for the examination of imports will soon come on stream.
According to a press release, the new system; ‘Random Selection for Examination’ will see containers being selected arbitrarily for varying degrees of examination in the presence of stakeholders.
The main aim of this new system, the release said, is to bring about superior transparency and effectiveness in the examination process.
This system, which is currently in its developmental stage, will complement that which exists in order to examine imported goods, and has the support of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the National Competitiveness Strategy Unit and other stakeholders, the release continued.
According to Commissioner-General Khurshid Sattaur, the new system “is being designed to protect the authority and the integrity of its officers. If the GRA were to bring some level of scrutiny to the examination process, it will increase confidence in that process as well”.
Sattaur also added that there is the possibility of a high level of compliance of importers, given that systems become more transparent.
Two of the main components of the new examination system, the release said, will be the identification of imports for examination based on the risk profiling system used by the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS), along with the examination of goods in the presence of senior management of GRA, who are not related to the customs operations, members of the private sector, and other stakeholders. “Any irregularities found during the process will be addressed immediately in accordance with the Customs Law and Regulations,” it added.
“These measures are being taken to remove the perception of collusion between GRA’s Officers and the public,” Sattaur said, thus, “the possibility of opening the Random Selection for Examination process to the media is also being explored”.
The release concluded that the GRA is collaborating with the National Competitiveness Strategy Unit, the PSC, and other stakeholders to develop and implement this initiative.
