THE current and constant personal attack on Mr. Khurshid Sattaur, Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for doing his job by the Kaieteur newspaper owner and publisher is, malicious, vile, disgraceful, libelous and must have made the famous doyen of print journalism, the late Dr. Vic Forsythe, to be turning in his grave .

Mr. Sattaur’s career at the GRA has been founded on the gift of a formidable brain which has moved the Revenue Authority from strength to strength with the massive increases in revenue collection year after year as well as improving staff morale.

What I mostly admired about him is that he has not been afraid in going after those delinquent taxpayers who feel that they are above the law. Through every medium he has unreservedly made some breathtaking break through to capture and to bring in the revenue owing to the Government and he should be commended for the hard work he has been doing despite the many challenges facing him.

This has irritated those who do not like to part with their money, but usually like to portray themselves, through publicity, that they are doing so much of good for those who cannot afford to pay to further their education.

In Guyana some people are so gullible to those with money that even when they are breaking the Income Tax Law, they have followers who are backing and representing them in order to make them feel important.

The Government has given this son of the soil a national award for his dedicated service to his job, and I do hope that the University of the West Indies will see it fit at some stage to honor him with a Doctorate in recognition of his contribution and hard work to taxation in Guyana.

The benefits enjoyed by citizens of any country are derived by taxes, and Mr. Sattaur has made that bold step in making us proud as we travel around the country and seeing what the tax dollars are doing for all of us, including those who like to condemn and criticise, and that is all they can do.

Those who are now writing to the professional ‘Accounting Body’ of which Mr. Sattaur is a member should try to understand and read the Tax Act and stick to the issues rather than trying to ‘bring a good man down’.
This is the election season and perhaps the GRA has been infiltrated by some representatives of political parties who are on the campaign trail. My advice to all the staff at the GRA is to focus on your work and stop bringing the boss down. He has set a good platform for us to continue to do well in our various areas of work.

To all the taxpayers, you have an obligation to yourself, country and future generations; just diffuse your mind from reading and listening to trash, and try at all times to think well of people, since we all have a short life on this earth. So pay your taxes for the betterment of all of us.

PETER FRASER
Taxpayer