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CORRUPTION AT THE GRA
When in opposition, the government had promised to stamp out corruption which is rampant in all government departments and agencies including the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA); the principal tax collection agency in the country.
Upon taking office, the government appointed a new board and chairman with the aim to restructure the GRA to ensure that it is aligned with its vision and goals. Who to keep and who to let go became the million dollar question.
Under the former Commissioner General (CG), the GRA had experienced steady leadership and from all reports it has always met its revenue collection targets. But its CG violated his oath of secrecy and confidentially after it was revealed that he had secretly shared the personal income tax information of the publisher of this newspaper with the former Attorney General and a former president. Not only had he lost the trust of the people, but he also betrayed his staff.
The newly appointed CG of the GRA was deemed well qualified for the job by the government. In a highly dramatic fashion, the CG had vowed to stamp out corruption at the agency and restore its confidence among the people.
He made several promises including the promotion of team-work among senior officials, improve the morale of staff members and the re-training of the staff to meet the requirements of the country’s tax and border laws and regulations.
At first glance, many believe that such actions were needed to improve image of the GRA, but they quickly descended into the category as”a new broom always sweeps clean.” Truth be told, not much has changed under the new CG.
As in the past, corruption at the GRA made the headlines in the news once again. Malpractices committed by some of its officers caught the attention of the CG who immediately read the riot act to them. The CG reminded the staff of his no-nonsense and zero tolerance approach to bribery and other forms of corruption, and reiterated that honesty, integrity and professionalism are paramount to the survival of and respect for the organization.
While the efforts by the CG to stamp out corruption and rid the GRA of the wrongdoings that have tarnished the agency’s reputation seem to be the right thing, it will not be an easy task. Corruption at the GRA is endemic. The arrest of two GRA officers in relation to the granting of duty free concessions to the owners of imported ATVs and the firing of four staffers for their roles in a duty free scam are just the tip of the iceberg. It is known that many GRA staffers have and continue to accept bribes from the public for services that are supposed to be free.
Appealing to the public to avoid bribing members of the GRA for services offered by the agency and at the same time threatening the public with prosecution if they do, will not solve the corrupt practices at the GRA. The state of affairs at the GRA is startling to say the least.
It has been rumoured that its electronic container scanners which cost billions of dollars are constantly being damaged because some GRA staffers have are being bribed to avoid the detection of illegal drugs.
Corruption remains widespread at the GRA and efforts to reduce it seem to be difficult because of its various departments. Divine intervention is needed to weed out corruption at the GRA.
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2 thoughts on “CORRUPTION AT THE GRA”
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Divine intervention? What a joke… Try law and order…
I will not intervene. I only look on. So , how did the ‘secret’ info become public?
Bribery and corruption cannot be erased by the Gvt Ministers etc. Are some of them so involved? Only i can decide not to be bribed. SO?