GRA asks for patience as long lines continue at Licence Office

Mar 14, 2012 News

Several persons waiting to renew their drivers’ licences and conduct other

Persons yesterday waiting in the hot sun to transact their businesses at Licence Revenue Office.

businesses at the Licence Revenue Office on Smyth Street, Georgetown, are complaining about the lengthy waiting period.
These complaints come at a time when the office, which falls under the state-controlled Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), recently introduced a temporary system aimed at reducing waiting periods.
The process of this temporary system was geared to reduce waiting times for persons wanting to transact businesses regarding their permits, to last 15 minutes. The new system introduced, allows for a driver to lodge the licence at the office, pick up a permit, and return in two days later to collect the updated driver’s licence.
During an interview with Wayne Austin, Senior Manager of the Licence Revenue Office, he admitted that there are some challenges with this temporary system. He also denied that the office started its afternoon session late yesterday. Kaieteur News was called at 13:10 by an irate customer who complained that the doors were still closed for the lunch period.
Austin asserted that checks with transactions done in the system proved that business began at 13:00 hrs and the guard has also testified that doors were opened at 13:00 hrs.
He explained that the Licence Revenue Office operates from Monday to Friday. The morning session begins at 8:00 am and ends at 11:30 am, while the afternoon session starts at 13:00 hrs to 15:30 hrs. On Fridays, the afternoon session ends at 14:30 hrs.
In relation to the long queues at the office, Austin emphasised that there is nothing that could be done to rectify that now since the number of persons visiting the facility on any given day is difficult to predict.
He claimed that the system is working since the waiting time has been reduced. In addition, previously there were instances where persons were turned away unattended after waiting for numerous hours… this does not happen now.
According to Austin, the old system which GRA wants to phase out involved staff manually having to search through a record box for a card. This card has to be manually verified and prepared for the customer to sign and uplift.
Austin reassured that the system would change after June when the entity starts conducting electronic transactions.
“When this automated system is implemented everything would be done via the computer. We will have the information… we will process it and it would be on a plastic identification card,” he said.
GRA has already computerised the Motor Vehicle Licences and Registration and Trade and Miscellaneous Licences processes and will shortly be issuing printed Motor Vehicle Registration certificates and Trade and Miscellaneous Licences.