MR. Godfrey Statia, Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), has rebutted allegations by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo that parliamentarians from the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) have been politically targeted by the issuance of property tax demand notices.Speaking at a press conference on Friday at the GRA’s Camp Street headquarters, Statia said that Members of Parliament from both sides of the National Assembly were served tax demand notices.

“I would like to assure the Opposition Leader that if there was any political intervention, any targeting, it would not have been for those five persons, because I am sure those five persons (are) a drop in the bucket,” Statia said.

He said that as far as he is aware, there has been no political intervention, and he has not received any call from any political appointee of the Government.

“I can assure you it was not political. Nothing that was sent was political. So far, I have not gotten any political direction. My minister (Minister of Finance) has been hands- off and has allowed me free rein. There has been no political direction,”Statia explained.

But he cautioned that it must be understood that “we have an obligation, and public officers, MPs or whoever have an obligation to file their taxes on or before April 30th the following year.”

Jagdeo, at a press conference earlier this week, disclosed that five of his Members of Parliament were served with property tax notices during the budget debates, and he alleged vindictiveness on the part of the Government. Those served are Joe Hamilton, Frank Anthony, Indra Chandarpal, Juan Edghill and Irfaan Ali; and according to Jagdeo, he has spoke to the MPs and they have indicated that they do not owe any taxes.

But Statia made it clear that Parliamentarians from both sides of the House, as well as heads of government entities, were served notices for taxes owed. “Everybody at the top of government agencies I instructed that they must submit all their outstanding returns. I demanded that of them, because (when you are) holding a public office, you must be held to a certain standard; and I am sure (that) if the Opposition had checked, they would have seen that certain notices would have reached them long before.”

He explained that there has been no targeting of the PPP MPs, and noted that the notices may have reached them recently. The GRA head told reporters that when he took office, he perused a list of all the persons to whom notices had been sent, and Members of Parliament on both sides of the aisle were observed on the list.

“We sent out notices to all Members of Parliament, all permanent secretaries…” he stated.

Over the past few months, the Commissioner-General said, “people have been refusing mail once they see it has originated from the GRA; so I have since instructed my staff not to put a return address.”

He noted that in the case of the five PPP Members of Parliament, their notices may “have fallen through the cracks.”

“If they received it during the budget debates, they would have received it late; and they should have gotten it since in August,” Statia explained.