Rejection of Gy$310M request “vindictive” – Revenue Head

Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur, has  called the move by A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) to deny the revenue entity, additional funds for its continued operations,  “vindictive”.
At the last sitting of Parliament, the administration through Finance Minister Ashni Singh, tabled a bill seeking to have the National Assembly approve an additional Gy$310 million to be allotted to GRA for regularising  operations at its new location,  CLICO building, Camp Street, Georgetown.
The additional funds government sought were presented as part of Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh’s supplementary papers tabled in the National Assembly. The proposal did not find favour with the combined opposition. Sattaur told Guyana Times International during an exclusive interview that the GRA is not a political organisation; therefore its growth should not be stagnated by the opposition’s bid to use their one-seat majority as a dictatorship. The additional funds according to Sattaur, were very crucial to continue modification works at CLICO building.  The GRA also anticipated that a fraction of the Gy$310 million would have been pumped into contracts which were already awarded.
“By moving over to the CLICO building, we had to do a considerable amount of modification works, in relation to clean electricity supply, staffing accommodation, IT and sewage works, among other stuff. So for the opposition to move against GRA having additional monies to carry on with such works is very immoral,” GRA’s Commissioner General pointed out.
However, the Commissioner General underscored that the entity has proven over the years to be efficient by garnering billions in taxes, which contributes to the continued growth of Guyana’s economy.
As such, Sattaur pointed out that the GRA should be allowed the opportunity to have essential funds at its disposal in order to improve the services being offered to the public.
Further, Sattaur said that the combined opposition with its one-seat majority, has developed a culture of rejecting indispensable funding to government entities, in its bid to score cheap political points. “They are really not hurting the government by such actions, but really and truly, the opposition is hurting the entire Guyana by its selfishness.” He said the APNU and the AFC should rethink its position on the recent proposal.