Latest update March 24th, 2025 7:05 AM
NUMBER PLATE RACKET!!! Crashed vehicles will be taken off records -GRA, Insurance Companies to start consultations this year
The GRA is aiming to remove the number plates of crashed vehicles from its records
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is expected to meet with several insurance companies and the Commissioner of Police this year, in an effort to remove the number plates of crashed vehicles from its records. This is according to GRA’s Commissioner-General, Godfrey Statia.
The tax chief told Kaieteur News that ongoing efforts to identify unregistered vehicles smuggled in from Suriname, in collaboration with the Law Enforcement Investigation Department and Customs, will continue ad infinitum.
The Commissioner-General also expounded on this matter during a press conference yesterday.
Statia said that earlier this year, the revenue authority was examining the reasons why the registration of motor vehicles had reached a plateau. He noted that the authority has a database of close to 280,000 vehicles. Statia noted also, that Guyana has a population of about 740,000. Considering the two figures, he concluded that Guyana has one of the highest cars per person ratio in the world.
The tax chief said, “So you would recognize that at some point in time, you would reach a plateau. In looking for reasons why this occurred, you found that there were thousands of vehicles which were being imported from Suriname and Brazil and not going back, and instances where people were using old registration numbers and these things.”
He continued, “You found people were abusing the process and using fake vehicle numbers and fake diplomatic code numbers and these things….We have to work in line with the police on this. We are now trying to get a contractor to do our own vehicle number plating as is done overseas so as to minimize the fraud that is going on with these number plates.”
Statia added, “The other morning I saw DPL 5-101. Nowhere does the US embassy have 101 vehicles. Three weeks ago, we found a vehicle in front of the Chinese embassy with a false (vehicle) number plate…So we need to understand the society we live in and the lengths people go to in order to not pay tax.”
The GRA boss said that the way forward will also have to include increased checks on warehouses and working along with the Guyana Police Force. With respect to the latter agency, Statia said that GRA has already requested information on vehicles that have been written-off.
He said, too, that efforts will have to include working along with the entity’s Surinamese counterparts for information on vehicles which have left the Dutch-speaking nation for Guyana but did not return.
Statia stressed that all vehicles, regardless of the industry they are being used in, must be registered. He insisted that practices to the contrary, rob the state of the requisite taxes. He emphasized that the Authority will work feverishly towards bringing an end to this scheme. (KIANA WILBURG)
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