From Sattaur to Statia: the unpleasant story of Guyana

Apr 27, 2017 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

This article is about the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). For the purpose of research, I went through my files of columns on the GRA. It never occurred to me that I literally have done more than twenty-five articles in which the GRA is featured and all were negative commentaries. I didn’t know which one to quote from for the purpose of this commentary.
The files showed I did two columns whose contents dealt with GRA officers’ absence at the places where the GRA had set up drop box centres during this time of the year for citizens to drop off the tax submissions.
These unpleasant encounters were during the reign of Khurshid Sattaur. Sattaur is gone. He was replaced by someone who lived outside of Guyana for more than fifteen years. Godfrey Statia is the new head of the GRA with many qualifications from the United States where he lived. I got a rude introduction to Statia’s rule at the GRA on Tuesday morning.
I couldn’t stand Sattaur. He was not the right person for the GRA and for millions of reasons. Statia I hope would run things better. As I drove away with my frustration from the City Mall’s GRA drop box centre, I know in my heart this country will not survive another forty years.
This is the time of the year to submit tax returns to the GRA. As in the years of Sattaur, they identify specific locations in and around Georgetown for citizens to deposit the documents. My last, bitter experience with Sattaur was outside Mattai’s Supermarket. They were supposed to start at 8am. They turned up way past 9am.
All the newspapers carried the drop off spots for 2016 returns. For Georgetown it is only three – central post office (GPO), City Mall and GRA head office. The notice also carried the opening hours (from 10am) with telephone numbers.
I put my dog in the car, pulled in at the customers’ car park of Republic Bank, used the ATM, left my dog in the car, and crossed over the road to City Mall to deposit my stuff. That would take literally minutes so my doggie would not be too long on her own. I don’t have to submit property tax returns because that starts at $42 million. I don’t have that amount. My wife insists since the confrontation with Sattaur, when he demanded I submit same, that we should nevertheless complete the forms each year. I have tried my best to persuade her not to do it. But every year, I submit property tax returns; for what I don’t know.
At 10 am sharp there were no GRA officials. I crossed back over the road, went to the car and killed time with my doggie. I crossed again to City Mall. I looked at the time. It was 10.22 am. The drop off centre was still without its GRA officials while a long line of citizens were waiting with their returns in their hands. I would ask readers to accept what they are about to read. The same agitations I heard in the line at Mattai’s Supermarket ten years ago, I heard at the City Mall. It was time to leave.
I called a journalist colleague to get Statia’s number. I got it. I called Statia about ten times but as is the culture in Guyana, you cannot get policy-makers and high State officials on the line easily. You are not going to believe this. I rang Prime Minister, Michael Manley in Jamaica and his secretary put him on the line. I rang Prime Minister, Olaf Palme in Sweden, and his secretary put him on the line. That is the honest truth.
I rang my wife to get the GRA numbers that were in that advertisement. None of the extensions listed in that newspaper notice were working. I got hold of Statia’s secretary. Well space would not allow for a description of our conversation and what Ms. Boyce said and did. I cannot say I was impressed with her but maybe I was too upset to discern the lady’s kindheartedness. I will leave it at that.
But my essay would not be complete if I didn’t mention the unbearable lines to hand in tax returns that I saw at the GRA on Tuesday. So I lost my patience with the GRA under Sattaur. Now under a brand new head, I am experiencing the same angst. I looked at those people’s faces in the line at the City Mall and at the GRA and I know in my heart this country has no right to exist.

1 thoughts on “From Sattaur to Statia: the unpleasant story of Guyana”

Henry Horton April 27, 2017 at 11:38 am

Ridiculous indeed!!

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