SEVERAL tax reform measures are being undertaken at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) as the organisation shifts from a tax type approach to a functional approach of administering taxes with the aim of increasing its capacity to obtain higher levels efficiency and effectiveness.

Commissioner-General of the GRA, Mr. Khurshid Sattaur, said in a press release that such a shift lends to the creation of a more service oriented, customer driven organisation that promotes voluntary compliance across tax types at all points of customer contact.

One aim of this reform measure, which includes the reformation of the GRA Headquarters, and the implementation of a domestic tax administration through the re-engineering of its business processes along functional lines, is to create an understanding in all of their role in helping to make Guyana a country less dependent on foreign funds, and in changing our status as a poor indebted country, since the changes are likely to bring about greater levels of revenue collection.

Mr. Sattaur said that tax payers should not take the narrow view of simply seeing themselves paying monies to the government; rather, they should envision themselves as part of a greater mission to create a viable and debt-free economy.

He noted that while the GRA has an important role to play in the reduction of Guyana’s fiscal deficit, each citizen has a part to play in ensuring Guyana achieves economic freedom. “It therefore means that each person, business or individual must pay his fair share of taxes willing,” Mr. Sattaur pointed out.

The Commissioner-General further asserted that if persons paid their right and fair amount of taxes, less will be spent chasing after revenues.

He said that in 2009, the GRA will seek to provide more efficient and quality service to the public and will be working closely with business and individuals to promote voluntary compliance.

Other tax reform measures to be undertaken include strengthening Customs and Trade Administration. In order to implement these measures significant emphasis will be placed on training GRA staff.

To date, the organisation has achieved much success in its effort to restructure and reintegrate. Several units have been merged and in some instances totally new units created. The functional areas that have resulted from the restructuring include:

*Debt Management

*Communication and Tax Advisory services

*Tax Operations and Services (formerly some of the functions of the Income Tax and VAT Department respectively)

*Intelligence/Risk management

*Law enforcement/Investigations

*Tax Analysis Unit

With the full implementation of the Total Revenue Integrate processing System (TRIPS) most of the business processes are to be aligned with the way TRIPS operates.

The various reforms being undertaken at the GRA form one component of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Guyana Threshold Country Plan/Implementation Project (GTCP/IP), which has as one of its overall objectives the reduction of Guyana’s fiscal deficit through improved revenue performance.