Dear Editor

I PEN this letter with grave disappointment at the management of the Green Acres School Group. I would have done my research (liaising with other private schools and the GRA) regarding the advance payment of January to April School fees and the removal of VAT from School Fees effective January 1, 2018.

Please note that when I pay school fees for my child in advance, it is at the request of the school for reasons of which I am not aware, fair enough, school policies. Paying advance school fees does not take away from the FACT that, that particular school fee becomes effective from when the school term commences. The January to April school term commenced on January 8, 2018, in which the school fees paid would have taken effect. This would therefore mean that the VAT included in advance school fees also takes effect from January 2018. According to the Guyana Revenue Authority, personnel and their website all VAT for January 2018 is payable on/before February 21, 2018. Also, annotate that advance payment of fees DOES NOT warrant collection of taxes for fees that are effective in January 2018. This would mean that one would have to exhaust the month of January before taxes are collectable. Now, I’m appalled by the flimsy excuse made by the Green Acres Group Accountant (during school meeting) that advance fees were already paid to GRA. One does not need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that excuse is quite unacceptable, bearing in mind the facts I just stated earlier.

However, that’s the least reason why I am disappointed. Some people choose to believe that priavte schools are a luxury, but I know to most it is a HUGE SACRIFICE, knowing the situation of the current public schools and the country. So just as how Green Acres Group and parents were allowed to petition for the removal of the VAT, it should be with the same deliberation that Green Acres School consider the parents before making advance VAT payments to GRA after the removal of VAT was annoucned, during the budget reading period in the latter part of November 2017. And I quote Minister Jordan, “In view of the represenattions made, I propose to remove the VAT on the provision of all educational services, with effect from January 1, 2018.” The Kaieteur newspaper dated November 28, 2017, also had this announcement, so that the general public can be fully aware.

Now, those parents who would like their refunds of the VAT paid in advance would now have to run back and forth to claim that fee deduction from the GRA, when the school (if keeping their parents at heart) should have withheld those fees until further notice. It is VERY unfair that parents who would have paid fees by your requested deadline are the ones not getting back a refund as compared to those who would have made payments after January 2, 2017. Would this now warrant the payment of school fees when the term commences and no longer in advance?

Finally, I am not a frequent church-goer, but my child would quote songs and memory verses of the Bible that were learnt at the school. And by saying that it brings me to this, are you (Green Acres Group) being a brother’s keeper? Are you looking out for those parents who don’t have $7,000-plus to give up on because of the hassle of getting it back from GRA? In this world, we already have enough problems to deal with and it’s situations like these I wonder how many people actually save another person from unnecessary burdens/problems like this one. There is no way I would begin to understand that the VAT-removal announcement that was made in November 2017 and you STILL took my January to April 2018 fees and paid it over to GRA (when it is due February 21, 2018?) That is the part I WOULD NOT accept by Green Acres Group. So, maybe you can clear this up for me as I stand corrected, due to some ignorance on my part.

Regards
Nkase Carter