The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has launched an investigation into suspected irregular and illegal transactions concerning vehicle concessions to remigrants.
The GRA said the probe was prompted by intelligence it received. GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur said, “recently, it was reported to management that persons allegedly posing as remigrants are benefiting others who are supposedly financing highly illegal schemes to grant themselves with the concessions for various classes of luxury vehicles”.
He said that it would appear from recent revelations that attempts are being made by disgraced elements, officers who would have been disciplined and taxpayers who would have been placed before the courts, to resort to undermining the efforts made by management to address various areas of weakness in administrative controls and to exploit such weaknesses.
Sattaur said that even though the agency may have appropriately dealt with the officers, who in some cases because of the severity of the offence, the agency would have had to part ways with; or in the case of taxpayers, prosecuted them for committing breaches in the law, they seem bent on criminal practises.
“As a revenue collecting agency, it is to be expected that rouge elements, both within and without, would attempt to corrupt the system that protects against revenue leakages. In most cases these systems depend significantly on the integrity of the officers tasked with conducting various law enforcement activities and procedures,” the commissioner general said.
Don’t be silent
He said notwithstanding measures being put in place to detect such schemes, “GRA wishes to remind the general public that they are an invaluable source of information in stamping out corrupt practices that may exist or appear to exist in any of its areas of operation. The GRA is once again considering publishing the names of persons who have not reported to the agency as required on the basis of the issuing of the concessions, but is mindful that such a measure may play in the hands of criminal elements.”
Guidelines
The remigrant scheme of the government of Guyana is administered by the Foreign Affairs Ministry in conjunction with the GRA. The ministry is responsible for determining and granting remigration status while the GRA administers the tax exemptions.
Under the remigrant scheme, a Guyanese who is 18 years and above, who has been residing legally overseas for a minimum of five consecutive years and is now returning to Guyana, can benefit. Also, Guyanese student/graduate who has attended or is attending a training institution and residing overseas for a minimum of four years and is now returning to Guyana, can also benefit.
Applications must be submitted in person to the remigration officer, Foreign Affairs Ministry, South Road, Georgetown, within the first three months of resettlement in order to establish remigrant status.
Regarding documentation, the applicant is required to submit his/her current passport which must be at least five years old. If the passport is less than five years old, then the previous passport must be submitted. In the case of students, evidence from the university, college or educational institution confirming the duration of the course of study or time spent at the institution must be submitted. Besides, documentary evidence of how the potential remigrant intends to earn a livelihood in Guyana to re-establish permanent stay; a statutory declaration, which must be prepared by a Justice of Peace or Commissioner of Oats to Affidavits in Guyana must also be presented. This must include the items for which exemptions are sought – for personal and domestic use – and are not for sale or exchange, and whether the remigrant has previously/never enjoyed tax exemptions.
