GRA announces changes in motor vehicles licensing system
THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) announced, yesterday, that effective January 1, 2012, a new Motor Vehicle Licence (MVL) system will be introduced. Under it, the MVL will be valid for a period of one year, effective from the anniversary date of registration of the motor vehicle, as opposed to the current system where MVLs are only valid for the year in which they were purchased.
For example, if a motor vehicle was registered on January 15, 2011, then the anniversary date for renewal will be January 15, 2012.
Addressing the issue, Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur said the change will “improve the quality of service provided to the public and reduce the strains and frustrations felt by the staff of the GRA and the public we serve.”
Vehicle owners, who renewed their licences during 2011, will only be required to produce a copy of their Motor Vehicle Registration Certificates when purchasing their 2012 licences.
Owners of enclosed goods vehicles and yellow cabs are still required to present their vehicles for mandatory inspection by the licence officer. However, persons whose vehicles were licensed prior to the year 2011 but failed to renew their licenses in 2011, must check with the MVL clerk before proceeding to the cashier.
Mr. Wayne Austin, Senior Manager, Licence and Revenue Office said: “It was difficult for us to ignore the frustration expressed by some taxpayers regarding our MVL process. The GRA expects that this staggered approach and other measures which will complement it, will manifest in a friendlier service delivered to the public.”
Vehicle owners renewing their licenses in 2012 will be notified via mail of the due dates for the renewals of vehicles registered under their names. This does not preclude persons from renewing their licences before the anniversary of the registration of their motor vehicles. Any changes in mailing addresses and other personal data should be reported to the agency.
Businesses or individuals who own or control in excess of 20 vehicles will be facilitated via a special facility which would allow them to schedule a date on which they can purchase or renew all of their MVLs at the same time.
As is customary, the MVL will carry security features geared to ensure the integrity of the document and safeguard it against forgeries. In order to curb the number of vehicle owners expected to be attended to each month under the new system, the Licence Revenue Office will only sell MVLs to motor vehicle owners in Georgetown.
Persons residing outside of Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) can renew or purchase their licences at the nearest GRA regional office. MVLs will no longer be sold at contingency outlets, such as the Tax Operations and Services Department and the Customs and Trade Administration Department.
These new measures are designed to reduce the number of vehicle owners visiting the Licence Revenue Office during the peak licensing period.
In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the number of vehicles imported into Guyana. As a consequence, despite introducing an electronic information system and selling MVLs at more locations, the GRA was challenged to sell MVLs to the ballooning number of vehicle owners within the three months window (March-June) after the reading of the National Budget, a GRA release noted.