The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) said the new scanner at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) has been serving its purpose and persons are now deterred from smuggling commercial goods in their suitcases.
GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur told Guyana Times International that the operation of the new scanner has so far proved to be effective. He explained that since the installation of the scanner in 2011, many persons have been found culpable of declaring items to be for personal use when they are intended for commercial purpose; despite this, no one has been prosecuted.
In light of the peak Christmas season, systems will be put in place to create a free flow of traffic at the airport. “In view of the impending Christmas season where you know you have a lot of people coming to the country, we have already taken steps to relax the rules a little bit. Unless, we have the means to acquire some more of those scanners,” he said.
The GRA said less scanning will be done during this period to prevent a build-up at the airport. Sattaur stated that the scanner has, to some extent, caused persons to stop smuggling in commercial quantities of goods in their suitcases and hand luggage.
Anti-smuggling boost
In an effort to boost the drug fight and introduce a more effective declaration system at Guyana’s main port of entry, the GRA installed the scanner at the airport. Signs are placed at strategic points in the airport, giving travellers warning of the penalties they could face if they fail to declare commercial quantities of goods.
The US$ 80,000 scanner is used for all incoming baggage at the CJIA and detects packages which are deemed commercial goods, as well as weapons and narcotics.
The NUCTECH film safe X Ray Inspection System was acquired through the Support for Competitiveness Programme (SCP), with assistance from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
SCP is a component of the National Competitiveness Strategy Unit (NCSU).
Persons found guilty of making false declarations could face a fine of up to Gy$ 25,000 and three years in prison.
The scanner is not intended to target persons visiting the country, but to clamp down on persons taking advantage of the system where there are no controls and mechanisms in place to detect individuals using their suitcases for commercial importation of goods that are subject to duty.
