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Yellow Taxi Initiative must be reviewed – Forensic audit proposes
The tailored-payment arrangement for spectrum usage by taxi owners was brought into question by a forensic
Forensic Auditor, Christopher Ram
audit that was conducted on the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) by auditors of Ram and McRae, Chartered Accountants.
The auditors said that the matter is one which dates back to 2009 when former President Bharrat Jagdeo ordered taxi owners to spray their cars in yellow to standardize the industry.
The Yellow Taxi Initiative in 2009 saw the former President make a promise that those who complied would be granted incentives in the form of waivers of fees for revenue licences, free radio spectrum for two years, and a 25 per cent reduction on excise duties payable on all vehicles imported for taxi usage.
The auditors said that not only was the authority for such an incentive questionable, but no Order was issued or clarification given on the conditions for the receipt of the grant. The forensic team said that it is therefore not possible to determine the amount of revenue lost annually as a result of this combination of failures. The auditors insisted that the initiative is not satisfactory and there is no evidence that all taxi services are billed and pay for spectrum usage. In this regard, they recommend that the promise made by the former president be reviewed and clarified with the stakeholders.
The NFMU has indicated that it will pursue the matter until it is resolved.
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