THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is in process of acquiring “fresh and up-to-date firearms” for the workers of its Enforcement Division, Commissioner General (ag) Ingrid Griffith told the media on Friday during a media briefing.She said the safety and welfare of workers is of great importance to the organization, and explained that, over the years, the Enforcement Division had suffered greatly because of the lack of sufficient weaponry and, in most cases, modern weapons and protective gear to carry out their duties.

The lives of many enforcement officers have been put at risk by the organisation’s inability to “match” the weapons of its rivals.

Griffith has assured that the situation will not continue for much longer. In fact, she said GRA is currently working to ensure that staff members receive modern tools to be efficient and effective.

“We have requested additional firearms that are up-to-date, so that they will have the same power than the smugglers have with their firearms, because their firearms are updated; and so we have to match their firepower. We have asked for those firearms, and the government is trying to give us that,” the acting Commissioner General said.

Griffith said it is important that the organisation brings its enforcement staff members up to standard with the weapons used by those who break the law. She noted that employees of the organisation must be comfortable to function, and, once comfortable, must be able to carry out their mandates in a safe environment.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the GRA, Mr Rawle Lucas, has said that the Board has decided that, in an effort to ensure voluntary tax payers receive accurate and timely information, “staff must be knowledgeable, and must have access to technology that makes the delivery of the service efficient.”

“We will be looking at staff training as a matter of priority. Focus would be (placed) on areas of customer service, tax analysis, tax planning and policy, human resource management, and legal services,” Lucas told the media.
He said that, in order to make the tax payer experience better, the Board is working to ensure that the GRA has the right type of technology application that will help to increase voluntary compliance, while concurrently increasing the “flexibility and comfort” with which tax payers can conduct their business.

“The GRA is currently pursuing the service capabilities similar to those which obtain internationally,” he said. “While we are aspiring to make that for use during this year’s tax season, we are mindful of the unforeseen risks which may delay that process,” he added.

One initiative being undertaken by GRA is giving employers the ability to submit Pay As You Earn (PAYE) data of their staff electronically. Coupled with that initiative, the GRA will be implementing a performance management system for employees.

“The implementation of the electronic PAYE system will yield important savings in time and cost within the organisation. Additionally, the performance management system will assist in strengthening staff capability through the evaluation process, and hence the quality of service delivered to tax payers,” the Chairman of the Board said.