We must constantly look to improve our standards and facilities

Mar 24, 2018 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
With all the debate emanating from the different quarters of the Guyanese society as it relates to ExxonMobil and the oil and gas find, Guyana is definitely onto something big, really big.
The Exxon deal, regardless of who erred, is a done deal, and only Exxon can change that. The question is: are they prepared to do that? That’s a whole different conversation and that is not the subject of my discussion today.
Today, I would like to focus on the service sector, and the one area I wish for us to pay keen attention to is the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
My visit to the GRA headquarters last week was shocking. It took me ten minutes to find a place to park my car and I had to walk about quarter mile to reach the entrance of the facility. When I looked at the building, I became fearful that it would collapse. I am surprised that over one thousand workers and hundreds of persons seeking the services of the revenue authority are cramped like sardines into that small, life-threatening structure. The offices of the senior officers are so small that it can barely hold three persons.
The Co-operative Republic of Guyana is on the move and we must constantly look to improve our standards and facilities. The GRA is collecting over $250 billion dollars in revenue annually. The employees are spending over a quarter of their daily lives there and the tax payers need to have better and more encouraging accommodations.
It is my understanding that over the years there have been many discussions on utilisation of the Durban Park vacant land for the relocation of this vital institution. I humbly suggest that our government should reconsider the uses of Durban Park land and build a modern Revenue Collection Agency with a huge parking facility for staff and customers.
My understanding is that the government has already identified ten acres of land on the East Coast for this purpose. My suggestion is that Georgetown would be more convenient because of the proximity of the business centre.
Yours truly,
Nazar Mohamed

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