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THE Guyana Revenue Authority yesterday launched a $14.8M baggage scanner at the Cheddi Jagana International Airport, as it targets persons who slip illegal items and those that attract taxes into the country without declaring them. While the airport already has several scanners to detect illegal and illicit items and substances carried by outgoing passengers, the new state-of-the-art scanner has been installed to deal with arriving passengers.
GRA Commissioner General, Kurshid Sattaur told the media that the equipment has been installed to detect firearms, cocaine, explosives and other illegal items, and is in no way intended to target ordinary people and tourists.
He said that the aim is to get a hold of the persons who are involved in commercial activities and would usually bring items into the country loaded in suitcases under the pretext of them being personal items, when in fact they are being brought into the country for re-sale.
Sattaur said that the new equipment will allow the GRA to better monitor what comes into the country and will also serve as an image repairer, for the staff of the agency are often accused of not being able to do their job in the right way, or not doing the job at all.
Yesterday he made it clear that while the agency has been doing all that it could possible do, there were and still remain some constraints. He said that once equipment and resources are not available for the execution of a particular function or duty of the agency, then it cannot be done.
The acquisition of the new scanner was made possible through the Government of Guyana, with assistance from the Support Competitiveness Programme and with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank.
The Commissioner General noted that the equipment was provided by a company that is known for providing similar equipment to several airports all over the world.
Like the container scanner installed a while ago at a city wharf, Sattaur said that he hopes the baggage scanner will do the same thing at the airport, that is contributing to the significant reduction of taxable items slipping into the country without the taxes being paid.
Meanwhile Sattaur said that in some countries the scanner is placed at a location where persons ‘must’ passage their baggage through before clearing Customs. In Guyana the system is different.
At the airport, incoming passengers will have the option of joining the line for the container scanner check, or can position themselves in the line for manual checks of their baggage.
The GRA boss said that if anyone tells an agent that he has nothing to declare, and is later found to be carrying taxable items, he will be dealt with according to the law.
He said that the practice of failing to place the bags on the scanner and opting to join the line which says to Customs that you have nothing to declare, when in fact you do, is tantamount to failure to declare taxable items and misleading Customs agents. This attracts a fine and imprisonment, once found guilty. The fine for the offence is $25,000, along with three years’ imprisonment, the GRA head reminded.
Meanwhile Chief Executive Officer of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Ramesh Geer told the media that the acquisition of the new piece of equipment is part of the broader objective of ensuring that the country’s main airport is fitted with modern equipment, as part of its modernisation process.
GRA Commissioner General, Kurshid Sattaur told the media that the equipment has been installed to detect firearms, cocaine, explosives and other illegal items, and is in no way intended to target ordinary people and tourists.
He said that the aim is to get a hold of the persons who are involved in commercial activities and would usually bring items into the country loaded in suitcases under the pretext of them being personal items, when in fact they are being brought into the country for re-sale.
Sattaur said that the new equipment will allow the GRA to better monitor what comes into the country and will also serve as an image repairer, for the staff of the agency are often accused of not being able to do their job in the right way, or not doing the job at all.
Yesterday he made it clear that while the agency has been doing all that it could possible do, there were and still remain some constraints. He said that once equipment and resources are not available for the execution of a particular function or duty of the agency, then it cannot be done.
The acquisition of the new scanner was made possible through the Government of Guyana, with assistance from the Support Competitiveness Programme and with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank.
The Commissioner General noted that the equipment was provided by a company that is known for providing similar equipment to several airports all over the world.
Like the container scanner installed a while ago at a city wharf, Sattaur said that he hopes the baggage scanner will do the same thing at the airport, that is contributing to the significant reduction of taxable items slipping into the country without the taxes being paid.
Meanwhile Sattaur said that in some countries the scanner is placed at a location where persons ‘must’ passage their baggage through before clearing Customs. In Guyana the system is different.
At the airport, incoming passengers will have the option of joining the line for the container scanner check, or can position themselves in the line for manual checks of their baggage.
The GRA boss said that if anyone tells an agent that he has nothing to declare, and is later found to be carrying taxable items, he will be dealt with according to the law.
He said that the practice of failing to place the bags on the scanner and opting to join the line which says to Customs that you have nothing to declare, when in fact you do, is tantamount to failure to declare taxable items and misleading Customs agents. This attracts a fine and imprisonment, once found guilty. The fine for the offence is $25,000, along with three years’ imprisonment, the GRA head reminded.
Meanwhile Chief Executive Officer of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Ramesh Geer told the media that the acquisition of the new piece of equipment is part of the broader objective of ensuring that the country’s main airport is fitted with modern equipment, as part of its modernisation process.
