THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has issued a stern warning to concessionaires, who are bent on abusing the concessions granted by the government.On Thursday, Commissioner-General of the GRA, Godfrey Statia, told reporters at a press conference held by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, that on a monthly basis the Revenue Authority is forced to withdraw an average of three concessions from concessionaires because they have failed to use them for their intended purposes.

“If it is found that they don’t use the concessions [for that which is intended] we charge them taxes and seize their articles…They are called upon to pay the tax or have their concessions taken away,” Statia explained.

The GRA boss said too that in an effort to clamp down on the abuse of concessions granted by the government, his entity has worked with the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) to have new rules in place on how to issue concessions.

He told the media that it is important for the recipients to submit quarterly reports after which the GRA would carry out its inspections. “We have also required that persons, who are in receipt of those concessions, must submit a quarterly report to us (GRA)… [GRA officers] go and check to make sure that the concessions are being used for the purposes for which it has been given.”

Statia explained that a number of business persons have “fallen into that net” of abusers of concessions, but it is just a case “that we do not publicise.”

The move by the GRA to tighten up on the holders of concessions follows the completion of a number of forensic audits which have found that concessionaires, have been for the most part, wantonly abusing the benefits granted to them.