— says commissioner-general

THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Wednesday reassured the public that it is working assiduously to rid the entity of corruption and restore its credibility.
“It is no secret that the authority was and is still deeply embedded in a culture of corruption, where allegations of bribery and favouritism are synonymous with the acronym ‘GRA’,” the authority said in a statement.

It noted that Commissioner-General Godfrey Statia has worked assiduously to put numerous systems in place geared at minimising corruption, while systematically improving efficiency, compliance and revenue-collection.
Statia took charge of the authority in July 2016 and committed to working towards eradicating corruption at the entity, but noted that “Rome was not built in a day.”
“As such, it would be ludicrous for anyone to assume that a culture that was created and festered for decades could be eradicated overnight. Yet, it must be conceded that during the last 13 months there has [sic] been more corrupt officers disciplined than previously recorded for any previous period,” the statement added.

In reference to an editorial published by the Kaieteur newspaper on September 11 and headlined, ‘GRA’s Image’, the authority refuted allegations that senior officials at the GRA who are taking bribes are being deemed untouchables.
“The commissioner-general has on numerous occasions requested the general public and all persons in receipt of such information to share same with the authority. Such information will be treated with utmost confidence, and upon investigation allow for the termination of the services of such persons and the effective eradication of these practices,” the GRA stated.

Moreover, the authority has yet again called on stakeholders to work together to identify officers who engage in unscrupulous practices, so that there can be a level playing field for all businesses and taxpayers.
“Taxation is a social contract between the government and its citizens, and all taxpayers should pay their rightful taxes – no more, no less. The authority again calls upon the tax-paying public to cease in such collusion and bring to its attention, those unscrupulous employees and taxpayers engaged in these activities,” the statement concluded.