IN the interest of revenue protection and adherence to the country’s border laws and regulations, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will now be randomly selecting personal effects for inspection.Customs procedures have been revised to facilitate profiling of non-commercial cargo for examinations based on a criteria that seeks to avert smuggling of prohibited, restricted or undeclared goods.

The examination will be done jointly by officers of Customs Excise and Trade Operations, (CETO) Goods Examination Unit (GEU) & Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) who will also determine the degree of examination (i.e. 25%, 50% and 100%) and present a report on all the examinations to the Commissioner-General for his information.

The GRA, in a statement yesterday, noted that prior to this new system, personal effects such as barrels, boxes, bins skids, pallets, and other packages, were not subject to inspections. They were released after a flat rate duty was applied. However, with the frequency in attempts in recent years to use personnel effects as a smuggling guise, the modifications were seen as necessary.

Chief among the violations are attempts to declare Commercial Cargo as Non-Commercial Cargo by shipping them in barrels, boxes, bins skids, and pallets. Consignees who make false declarations will be subject to a fine implemented by LEID.

Meanwhile, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), passengers who voluntarily join the Nothing to Declare line will be profiled for 100% baggage examination by CETO & LEID and a report will be presented to the Commissioner-General.

The GRA said it is confident that the new system will strengthen its capacity to detect discrepancies in classification and valuation of goods, ensure the customs duty and taxes are remitted and improve compliance from importers/exporters resulting in increased revenue collection.