Freddie Kissoon – Friday morning at the GRA and other stories

May 24, 2008 Freddie Kissoon

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All over Georgetown on Thursday, from what I have heard, the talk was about the pit bulls that nearly killed a young man in Queenstown (Demerara). This had to be the topic of conversation among most people because of the savage mauling a former UG security guard received by this particular canine species recently in Ogle. It was a horrible death. This man’s face was badly eaten.

There could have been another death. A pastor’s wife escaped the teeth of these carnivorous animals.
Given the widespread coverage the Ogle death was given, you would have thought that pit bull owners would have made sure that the perimeters of their yards were totally barricaded. I am contending that the Queenstown accused had to know that pit bulls found an opening in a yard in Ogle and attacked and killed a security guard.

The victim could have been a municipal worker earning an honest living. Suppose after cleaning a drain, one or two of them had sought refuge from the sun in that deserted lot and then killed by those vicious animals.

The Kaieteur News editorial yesterday focused on the need for Government to ban these nasty creatures from our landscape. It lamented Government’s inaction so far. This is where you see the connection between inane leadership and the lack of progress in a country. This was the theme of my article yesterday.

There isn’t a day in this country that this tragedy doesn’t rear its ugly head. This Government only acts with exigency when the issue is related to power. The GRA’s VAT operation is located on Albert Street between South Road and Charlotte Street. A few weeks ago, the authorities declared Albert Street in that vicinity a one-way going north only. It appears that there were too much vehicular hassles for the big ones at VAT.

It was the same on Carmichael Street last year in December. Georgetowners woke up to find that cars were not allowed to park on Carmichael Street between New Market and Lamaha Streets because of the proximity to State House.

Talking about the GRA, one wonders when Guyana will ever get modern. On Friday morning, I went to the GRA branch that we refer to as the Licence Revenue Office (LRO) at Smyth and Princes Streets. I needed something from the GRA that was as simple as kissing the palm of your hands. My daughter drives my car and I didn’t want her to get into any confrontation with the law because the police fitness certificate has my Turkeyen address but my registration document issued by the LRO has my previous address in Wortmanville.

The right and legal thing to do is to change all documents to the place where you are now residing.
I went upstairs to the GRA to get my new address on my driver’s book. The clerk asked me for proof of my new lot number. I supplied her with that. Then she asked me for my TIN. I refused to give her that because it was not relevant. I told her I was not transacting any business with the GRA that necessitated my TIN. She conceded that. Then she told me to wait behind the 25 persons seated waiting to be attended and my name will be called.

Those 25 persons included people who were applying for driver’s licences, those that had lost their books, those in need of provisional licences and those there for other matters. I strenuously refused her request. I demanded to see the person in charge. I asked why just to change my address of my book, I had to wait for hours in a line.

They agreed with me and decided to pull my file-card and change my address on it and on my book. That took less that a minute. Then they told me there is a procedure that I must go through which is out of their hands. I had go to the cashier and pay $240 for the little sheet that they will clip on to my driver’s license with my new address. This piece of paper is three inches and two inches. The line had about 30 persons.

Again I objected. Those thirty persons in the queue had important business with the GRA like paying huge sums for car registration and related matters. Now guess what happened? The cashier couldn’t issue a receipt for $240 because she didn’t have change for my thousand dollar bill. There is no notice that says one must carry exact change. Again, I lodged my complaint only to be told that there is something called the “flow” and in the mornings the cashiers do not have a “flow.” A “flow” is a certain amount of cash with all types of denominations (different bills).

When are they going to move the Licence Revenue Office? It is too small to accommodate the registration of cars. There isn’t space for the vehicles. It has been there for “donkey years.” The dogs, the GRA and the cows that cause death on the road tell the story of unchanging Guyana.

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