–with abolition of licence fees for some regions

FOLLOWING the passage of recent legislation in the National Assembly, the owners of minibuses operating in several hinterland regions will not be required to pay licence fees for their vehicles.

This measure follows the recent passage of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Amendment Bill (No.2) which was piloted by Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan in the National Assembly.
The Bill is one of several pieces of legislation which received support from the opposition for passage in the House this week.

Minister Ramjattan said that the amended Bill will see the owners of the minibuses in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) being exempted from paying licence fees.
“We want to help the people in and around that closed area,” he said, as he sought the support of the opposition.

Additional changes to the Act means that heavy-duty vehicles which fall under certain weight categories will now have to be registered with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) by their owners.

Ramjattan said the authorities have discovered that there are vehicles at hinterland locations, such as those involved in the construction of airstrips, that are not registered.
The National Assembly also passed a Bill to amend the Value-Added Tax Act, which Minister of Finance Winston Jordan noted clearly on Wednesday night in the National Assembly, has “nothing to do with any new measures”.

He said the changes under the Bill are consequent to amendments made to the VAT Act in the 2017 Budget.
Jordan said that the Bill seeks to allow the use of technology in the filing of tax returns with the GRA, which will bring the revenue-collection body into conformity with the proposed Electronic Act, which will make its way into the National Assembly at a later date.

He said the Bill, which was passed on Wednesday, allows for e-payments and will reduce the multiple visits to which taxpayers are accustomed when transacting business with the GRA.

Jordan said too that the authorities are working to ensure that the services and functions of the GRA are improved on a continuous basis.
“GRA was found to be in very bad shape and we have promised and had considerable help from friendly donors in all areas,” he said, as the government works to make the body as efficient and effective as possible. He said all the systems to safeguard information have been put in place.

The Finance Minister also spoke of a “weeding-out” of GRA employees who are found to be tarnishing the image of the body.
“I think the largest number of persons to exit GRA in circumstances other than retirement has taken place,” he said, adding that the authorities are trying to rid the body of “the bad eggs” who have in the past “given the vast number of workers there a bad name.”