Latest update December 12th, 2024 1:00 AM
GRA warns against use of fraudulent statements/documents to complete transactions
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Friday cautioned citizens against the falsification of documents and/or attempts at colluding with anyone, including GRA Officers, to defraud the Authority in the course of completing a transaction.
In a press statement, the Authority said that “persons guilty of such unlawful actions are liable on summary conviction to fines and imprisonment of up to as much as six months, depending on the nature and severity of the offence.”
Further, GRA made it clear that “employees are NOT authorised to collect monies from taxpayers for any transaction or offer to complete transactions in exchange for gifts.”
The Revenue Authority said that with respect to obtaining provisional driver’s licences, applicants must first receive the Original Pass Letter from the Traffic Certifying Officer of the Guyana Police Force (GPF). “Any other source or means used to acquire this document is fraudulent,” the statement said.
Further, GRA said that taxpayers must make all payments at the cashier sections and obtain an official GRA receipt as proof of payment.
“Cashiers are located at GRA’s Headquarters, all Integrated Regional Tax Offices (IRTOs), and the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) building. Moreover, GRA has repeatedly published alternative payment options available through the following entities: –
- Online banking services at Republic Bank, Demerara Bank, Bank of Baroda and GBTI.
- Mobile Money Guyana (MMG)
- Bill Express (over the counter)
The GRA statement follows reports that an employee was recently arrested for selling fake documentation to a 35-year-old labourer of Bush Lot, Essequibo Coast, Region Two.
Kaieteur News had reported that the 28-year-old GRA employee who worked at the Authority’s Administrative Department sold a bogus driver’s examination pass paper – a document needed to apply for a driver’s licence at GRA – to the labourer.
Kaieteur News understands that the labourer wanted to “cheat the system” in obtaining a driver’s licence and the GRA employee assisted him by forging the document needed for the application.
GRA’s headquarters Camp Street, Georgetown
However, when the labourer arrived at GRA’s Headquarters on Camp Street on December 20, 2022, to apply for the licence and submitted the fake document, an alarm was raised by GRA employees on duty.
The man was then detained for questioning. During that process, he told Investigators that he had purchased the document from a GRA staff for $100,000, believing that it was a genuine one.
Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Eve Leary were informed and the GRA employee was arrested.
Kaieteur News has confirmed that the GRA staff has admitted to selling the document to the Essequibo resident but only for $50,000. He claimed that he had gotten the fake document from another individual but according to police, he has been withholding the identity of that person
Meanwhile, the Authority said that persons who suspect that they are the victims of frauds should request the name and employee ID of the person representing the Authority and report the matter(anonymously) to GRA’s Special Investigation Unit’s (SIU) hotline 225-5051 or via email to [email protected].
- GRA Officers, Guyana Police Force (GPF), Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC), Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Integrated Regional Tax Offices (IRTOs)
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