THE Commissioner–General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Khurshid Sattaur, is advising the general public, that with effect from Monday 8, February, all commercial goods imported into Guyana which are subject to being examined are being done using live images which are recorded by GRA’s cameras. These examinations are being done at the various GRA Customs locations in order to ensure transparency and to detect false declarations submitted by importers.
This system also requires that after payments of the relevant taxes on all entries for which declarations have been made by the importers, in order to circumvent collusion between importers and customs officers, and to expedite the clearance of goods, importers are required to obtain from the GRA’s Senior Manager or Manager, Wharves, an advice in writing on whether the container can be released without conducting an examination  or whether an examination has to be performed  at the level of 50, 75 or 100 percent before the goods are released.
The Risk Profiling Module in the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) is used to determine the level of examination to be conducted.
The Commissioner-General has said that from reports received from intelligence sources many prominent members of the business community have been offering rewards to customs officers in order to cheat the system. These allegations have resulted in the implementation of this new system which is being used in many developed countries and allows for compliance with the customs laws.
GRA is committed to working with businesses to ensure that goods are cleared in a transparent and timely manner and to promote compliance with the various customs regulations. (GRA release)