The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) handles over 70,000 driver’s licences and records at least 300,000 visits every year and Commissioner-General, Godfrey Statia is encouraging persons to utilize its online services in order to ease the daily build-up at the agency’s headquarters.
Statia made this disclosure on Wednesday during an engagement with Stabroek News at his Camp Street, Georgetown office where a meeting was held to discuss the services offered by the GRA, particularly as it relates to the issuing/renewal of driver’s licences.
Statia invited Stabroek News for a walkthrough at GRA following an editorial which was published in the May 18th edition of this newspaper titled `Renewal of documents’.
The editorial detailed the frustrations that one citizen experienced to renew a driver’s licence. A comparison was made between that process and a more efficient one at the Central Immigration and Passport Office. This triggered the invitation from Statia which was accepted by Stabroek News.
Prior to the walkthrough, Statia and a team of senior officials briefly engaged Stabroek News.
During the discussion, Statia said that the renewal of a driver’s licence takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes on a “normal work day”.
However, he said this may differ throughout the month since there tends to more customers around the tax due dates. Each month, he said has a few due dates.
“If you come on the 15 of the month, it’s also a due date. The 31st of the month is a due date….You would expect to have a buildup on those particular due dates either two days before or one day after,” Statia said.
“Matter of fact, sometimes there are due dates on a quarterly basis and also on a monthly basis and if for any reason you come around that time, it would be longer than usual,” he said.
Like at many other public and private agencies, Statia said, special arrangements are in place for disabled persons, the elderly and pregnant women to be given priority.
Statia explained that having recognized the build-up of taxpayers, a series of new measures were implemented including the introduction of an online service. “We work through the lunch hour and all these other things….It’s not an agency which shuts down,” he said.
The busiest time of the day at the GRA tends to be between 10 am and noon.
Deputy Commissioner General, Hema Khan said over the years, the GRA has been working to ensure taxpayers benefit from improved services. “We are continuously improving on our service and we still plan to do more,” she said.
eServices
Among the new measures which were implemented by the GRA are the eServices.
To circumvent any hassle and long lines, Statia said GRA has been encouraging its customers to utilize the eServices.
“We have been trying to ask people to apply for these things online, get the renewals done online so they can actually make a one-stop shop instead of coming twice,” Statia told Stabroek News.
These services can be accessed at https://eservices.gra.gov.gy/
Aimed at improving taxpayers’ overall experience, the GRA launched the first phase of its eServices in 2018. The initiative was taken further in 2021 with the agency replacing its flagship tax software (TRIPS) with the new, intuitive, and powerful Optimal Revenue Management System (RMS) to offer a new and improved platform.
In providing details about the eServices, Acting Manager of Revenue Accounting, Mollynda Kajram said through the system payments can be done via Republic Bank, GBTI, Demerara Bank and Scotia Bank.
Kajram explained that persons desirous of utilizing this service are usually asked to email GRA requesting its banking details. “So we can respond to them and indicate to them what are our account numbers that they need to make the payment to,” she said.
Subsequent to this, Kajram added that the receipts are processed. For three of the banks, receipts are usually available on the same day. “So instead of coming here they can pay us online,” she said.
Other payment options include Bill Express and MMG. “You can pay your motor vehicle licence, your taxes through MMG and Bill Express,” Kajram said.
For the latter two options, payments are received the following day after which the transactions are processed, Kajram noted.
She further stated that there is also a pre-payment facility for persons who conduct frequent Customs transactions including importers, exporters and companies. “That’s a next option we have available to avoid persons coming here to make customs transaction,” she said.
Unfortunately, Khan told Stabroek News that persons have not been using the online service a lot. “We have not had persons responding positively with that,” she said.
All the services offered at the Headquarters in Georgetown are also available at the GRA branch offices. Apart from its Georgetown headquarters, GRA has branch offices at Anna Regina, Parika, Bartica, New Amsterdam, Corriverton, Lethem and Mabaruma.
Khan said that despite this, persons choose to visit the Georgetown office because they receive their licence the same day. At the other locations, it takes around 2 weeks. “Persons do not make use of those services at the branch offices. They come to town and want to do it here,” Khan said.
She said the cause for the delay is because the other branches do not have the particular printer which is required to process the document.
Asked if measures are in place to source printers for the other branches, Khan explained to Stabroek News that the printer is “very expensive” and the GRA cannot afford at this time to have one at all of its branch offices across the country. “The printer that we use is a very secure printer and the card as well. It’s expensive that we can’t afford at this time to have printers at all locations. So that’s our limitation that we have, unfortunately,” she said.
Walkthrough
Wednesday’s walkthrough was led by Khan. She along with Head of the Licence Revenue Office (LRO), Carol Baldeo provided Stabroek News with a step-by-step explanation of the procedure for the issuing/renewal of driver’s licences.
Before entering the GRA Headquarters, all persons are subject to a security check. Those who require the service of the LRO are then placed to sit under a tent which is situated between the security checkpoint and the entrance to the building.
The LRO lodgement office is on the right-hand side before the entrance of Headquarters building.
From the tent, persons are moved in a first come, first served order into the LRO lodgement section once a seat becomes available in there. “That is for all lodgement of driver’s licence, provisional and conductor’s licences,” Baldeo said.
Once inside the LRO which has seating capacity to accommodate about 10 to 12 persons, one is required to sit in order and follow a sequence until they are attended to by staff. “Taxpayers would come here and then it would be first come, first served,” Baldeo said.
The new digitised driver’s licence which is issued on a hard plastic card is automatically renewed and once there is no change to the name or address, the licence is presented and renewed instantaneously. “At the lodgement area, there is no need to go down for supervisory approval. We would have cut that out completely to make the system more efficient,” Baldeo explained.
Once the driver’s licence is renewed, customers are directed to the cashier and then dispatch area. “When you are done out there (lodgement area), once it’s a plastic licence you proceed to the cashier cage, pay and you receive,” Baldeo said.
For those applying for a new driver’s licence, renewal of a provisional licence, renewal of a hire car licence or requiring a letter of authenticity, persons are directed to the query line where there are two clerks to advise them. “..We need to update our LRPS (licence Revenue Processing System) system before you can go to the cashier. You need to create the transaction then pay. Once it’s paid then you get the licence printed right there,” Khan explained.
Baldeo pointed out that the GRA is in the process of implementing the automatic renewal for all forms of driver’s licences.
At the cashier area, there is one general line for all transactions. Prior to this, cashiers were segregated for the different services. “Of course, if it’s a due date then we would have more people dealing with taxes. But anyone can do anything. That makes the line much faster,” Khan explained.
