The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is in the process of relocating its office in Bartica to a more full-fledged location within the town, since it aims to improve the standards of taxpayers’ service and by extension, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
The GRA’s Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia, led a group of tax officials on Thursday last to the site which is the proposed new location for the tax office at Fifth Avenue, Bartica. This is where the Authority intends to begin its operations officially as from November this year, and in addition, the new location will also include among other things, living quarters for some senior staff, allowing them to have less rental rates and other related expenses.
This move is in keeping with the agenda of strengthening tax compliance and enforcement activities countrywide, beginning with improvements of the existing Integrated Regional Tax Offices (IRTOs), together with the soon-to-be functional Mabaruma office.
Existing IRTOs are located at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Parika, East Bank Essequibo, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); New Amsterdam and Corriverton, in Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Bartica; Region Seven; Lethem, in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); and Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
An initial assessment was done at the aforementioned locations and from this, it was determined that despite earlier efforts to provide a one-stop-shop at these sites, improvements were necessary in terms of a more enabling environment for staff and building capacity for the benefit of taxpayers who would otherwise have to travel to Georgetown for some services.
It was also discovered that in order to be effective, regional offices must not only be equipped to offer complete taxpayer services but also be able to conduct audits and investigations in relation to economic activities by individual and corporate taxpayers in the said localities.
The GRA is of the view that this resourcefulness is very timely, in light of the attainment of Bartica’s township status back in 2016, and the continued anticipated growth in economic activities and revenue flows. The Bartica IRTO is currently located at First Avenue, where it had commenced operations in 2007 before it was declared an IRTO under the Integrated Regional Offices initiative in 2008.
Several meetings were held by the GRA’s team together with the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Roderick Edinboro, in which plans and strategies were outlined for the region. Additionally, a new office will be commissioned by the GRA in Mabaruma, Region One within a few months, which is the first of its kind in the region.
