‘Bottom house’ rum shops will not be condoned

‘Bottom house’ rum shops will not be condoned – GRA

May 28, 2016 News

…Urges persons to report illegalities

With the number of unlicensed liquor restaurants/‘bottom house rum-shops” seemingly on the rise, business operatives who follow the rules and regulations set forth by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), have begun to register their concerns, citing this phenomenon a violation in maintaining a level competitive playing field, among other issues.
As reported in other sections of the media, the GRA has had challenges in the past with the monitoring and putting a lid on these activities – persons selling alcohol without the requisite licences. It has now become a common sight where many bottom house rum shops are seen operating in close proximity to each other.
There have been numerous complaints, letters and social media posts made by residents who are affected by these illegal operations.
Further, the operators of unlicensed liquor restaurants/bottom house rum-shops are guilty of tax evasion and contribute to the social problems in many communities.
An advisory that was published some time ago in the media outlined a specific tax act which states: “Everyone found selling, or offering or exposing for sale, any spirituous liquor or any wine or malt liquor at any place other than in a place or premises duly licensed under the Act who does not produce a licence authorising the sale or the offering or exposing for sale of wine, malt liquor, or spirituous liquor at the time when and at the place where he is so found selling it, or offering or exposing it for sale, may be arrested by the Comptroller or any Constable or Rural Constable and detained until he can be brought before a Magistrate and dealt with according to law and the wine, malt, liquor or spirituous liquor, so sold, or offered or exposed for sale, with the packages containing it, shall be seized and forfeited.”
Overtime, especially in the far-flung areas, illegal shops have sprung up. Many shops, with licences for groceries and soft-drinks, would sell the beers and other alcoholic beverages “under the counter”.
In addition to the loud music leading into the wee hours of the morning, the lack of toilet and other facilities for their customers and badly parked vehicles prevents residents from having ingress and egress.
There have been reports, also, of persons who have licences to sell alcohol “take-away”, modifying their shops to accommodate the consumption of alcohol on their premises.
This has been seen by the other business operatives on par with the system, as a breach of the competitive nature of doing business.
Senior Manager for the Communication and Tax Advisory Division, Gavin Lowe, said that just recently that GRA will not condone these illegalities. Lowe said that there are penalties that accompany these activities with one being the seizure of the sellers’ goods and the seller being placed before the courts.
Because most of these activities occur in “far-flung” areas, they sometimes pass under the radar of the GRA, Lowe said.
He stated that GRA is heavily dependent on intelligence and is therefore calling on persons to report these illegalities so that action can be taken.