THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) wishes to respond to a letter published in the Stabroek Newspapers on Friday March 18, 2010 under the caption, “Tourists should be able to pick up driver’s permit at airport” and written by Shameer Ali.
Mr. Ali made two allegations against the GRA, which are mischievous and misleading, and is an attempt to smear the name of the GRA both locally and abroad, since he mentioned that he is working for a travel agency in Toronto, Canada.
He wrote that he had been getting negative feedback about the approach and service of the Customs officials at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri; reports to the effect that they are not friendly. This allegation is not true, since the officers who are stationed at the airport are experienced and professionally trained to perform their duties in a friendly and courteous manner whilst upholding the mission and mandate of the GRA while on duty at the airport.
This can be confirmed by the many tourists who arrive at the airport from North America and elsewhere and who speak highly of the officers stationed there and directly in relation to the professional, courteous and friendly manner they are given upon their arrival at Timehri.
The second allegation by the letter writer, that tourists are being denied local driver’s permits at the airport upon their arrival in Guyana, and are then directed to the Licence Revenue Office in Georgetown is not true.
Local driver’s permit are issued by the Customs Officers upon request at the airport to tourists once their documents are in order, and this can be verified by the reports which are submitted to the LRO in relation to the number of permits which are issued to tourists. If there is any doubt concerning the validation of the licences presented at the airport, the tourist is then directed to the main office in Georgetown which is better equipped to deal with technical issues which may arise.