Suspicious changes in Customs’ entries being questioned

Sep 18, 2010 News

There are now more questions than answers over the recent seizure of a container said to be filled with counterfeit cigarettes.
Officials are now wondering how the 20-foot container which came here two months ago as cargo somehow ended up being listed as “in-transit”, and as such did not attract the necessary duties and taxes.
Under Customs’ regulations, any container that arrives here with goods is liable for duties and taxes which are calculated based on set formulas. Nowhere do the regulations allow the “cargo” listing to be changed to “in-transit”. Even if cargo comes into Guyana, and an importer wishes to export it, it has to be assessed for taxes and duties and these must be paid before it is allowed to leave.
However, according to official sources yesterday, something happened with the container that came in two months ago and allowed to leave Guyana over the weekend without any taxes and duties being paid.
While the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has refused to speak on the seizure of the container saying that the matter is under investigation and the lives of its workers may be under threat, Kaieteur News was told that the container was sitting at a Mandela Avenue terminal for 62 days attracting rental all the time.
However, this changed over the weekend. On Sunday, the container was taken to Berbice where the driver handed it over to another man.
From there, sources had told Kaieteur News, it was allowed to enter the Suriname/Guyana ferry and cross to the neighboring country.
However, authorities there refused to allow it into the country since it did not have the necessary documentations.
Upon its return, member of the Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad seized it and on Monday, the container was escorted by GRA staffers down to the city.
Counterfeit cigarettes are a multi-million-dollar business with entities in China being known manufacturers.
Local licenced distributors of cigarettes have been complaining of smuggling and counterfeit cigarettes which not only eat into profits but pose even more health risks since regulators are not sure under what conditions the cigarettes are made.
It is estimated that counterfeit cigarettes are being sold around 60 per cent of the market price of the original, a highly lucrative trade, especially when taking into account that not many smokers are aware that what they are smoking is not the real thing.
According to one informed source early this week, there is a vibrant underground trade for counterfeit cigarettes in Guyana, with smuggling rampant across the border with Suriname.

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Suspicious changes in Customs’ entries being questioned

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