GRA scanner providing efficient service during holiday season – Dr. Ashni Singh

A new scanner provided by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is offering timely and efficient service to importers at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) Wharf.

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh inspected the new scanner today during a tour of the entity.

Expressing pleasure with the service, Dr Singh said the new technology was introduced just over a week ago and has been making positive gains in service delivery. He said it facilitates a permanent record of the items being imported, better management and identification of risks.

“The ultimate objective is ensuring we have a more scientific way of identifying risks in trade transactions both from a revenue protection standpoint and security standpoint. What we don’t want is for importers having to wait many days to have their goods cleared off the wharf. The emphasis really is to ensure that importers have an efficient experience in interacting with the GRA,” Dr Singh said after the tour.

The Finance Minister said the service is very important, particularly during the current Christmas season.

“Businesses are expecting their inventories off the wharf and households are expecting to unpack their goods. The need for efficiency is a need that transcends the entire year, but especially at Christmas and especially that this has been a challenging year with Covid,” he said.

Minister Singh said he has impressed on the leadership of the GRA, the importance of ensuring that people’s imports are released on time.

“What we do not want is for people to be left with their goods that they have imported for the Christmas trade in containers and not on their shelves. What we don’t want is for families expecting a barrel to open it looking for goodies and then discovering that they are not able to get their barrels out at Christmas.” Dr. Singh said the new scanning service is an example of a “much bigger agenda” under discussion with the GRA on the modernisation of its operations. (Department of Public Information)