GRA clamps down on unlicensed liquor stores, rum shops

Mar 31, 2019 News

The Guyana Revenue Authority has put unlicensed liquor stores and rum shops on notice “to take necessary action to regularize their operations.”
In a release, the organization noted that the practice of selling alcohol without being licensed is illegal in accordance with Section of the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Act 82:21.
That act 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 this Act, who does not produce a licence authorizing 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 it for sale, may be arrested by the Commissioner and anyone authorized by him 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.”
The penalties for breach of this law are fines ranging from $6000 to $100,000, and confiscation of the spirits.
The warning follows the Authority’s notice that there has been a steep increase in the number of bars/liquor shops selling alcohol, unlicensed, and a recent interception, by the Authority, of a shipping container of smuggled liquor said to be valued at more than $15M, which a local shipping agent declared as other items.

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