Pulling numbers out of thin air

Apr 28, 2014 Letters

Dear Editor,
Recently I travelled to Guyana for Easter 2014. My experience was not an encouraging one. It is a known fact that the borders of all countries are known as the gateway to those countries. International airports fall into that category, this makes it part of the border.
My concern is at the airport. Every year I travel to Guyana, it’s a different scam at the airport. This year it was the alcohol scam. I arrived with six bottles of alcohol which I purchased from duty free. It was the holidays, so I brought them as gifts for family and friends. I understand that like most countries in the world, you are only allowed a certain amount of duty free alcohol and anything in excess of that, duty should be paid. What was happening in Guyana was they were pulling figures out of the air to tax you.
I say this because as I was trying to exit the Customs area I was stopped by the Chief Customs Officer (as I later found out). His words to me were “You got too much liquor! You got to pay duty.” I said “ok I can understand that!” He sent me over to a female Customs Officer, who, after taking about twenty minutes and two calculators, told me that I had to pay GUY $53,000.
For two bottles of Absolute Vodka, one bottle of Baileys cream liquor and a bottle of Henessy; each was 750 ml bottles. Now the four bottles plus the two I was allowed, cost me US $ 120.00. Yet they found it fair to tell me that I have to pay when converted, US 265.00. And they told me that I can leave it if I don’t want to pay. Now why is there not a standard chart posted on the duty to be paid for the common things that you see every day, alcohol being one of them, instead of pulling numbers out of thin air.
My second issue is with the Departure Tax. It is known that the tax is GY4000 but if you choose to pay in US they are charging you US$21.00. No one could explain to me why this is so. Except to point me to a painted sine saying it is US $21. Now this sign was posted sometime ago when the exchange was different. No one had the foresight or just don’t think it was possible that the exchange rate would change.
I am writing this mail out of concern that a lot of people traveling to Guyana, including Tourists who have never visited Guyana are greeted with these issues. The primary duty of any Immigration and Custom Officer is to facilitate trade, travel and commerce, not to deter it.
Looking at it from a different angle is that these Customs and Immigration officers are the first people visitors encounter while visiting Guyana. They are sort of Ambassadors of the country. They should strive to leave a pleasant impression on visitors, even returning Guyanese. These things could be accomplished without interfering with them performing their duties effectively and fairly.
I hope you see this as being important enough to post it and maybe we can start a dialog that produces some sort of positive change.
Richie Rich

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Pulling numbers out of thin air

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