To meet the legal requirements to tap into the growing corporate community in Guyana, the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) has become an incorporated body.
Executives of the GCA made the announcement at a press briefing on Thursday at the Muslim Youth Organisation, Woolford Avenue.
With unanimous support of the clubs under its umbrella, the incorporation of the GCA was done under the Companies Act 1991 as a Charitable Non-Profit Company with no shared capital and published in the Official Gazette on April 16, 2022.
The name Georgetown Cricket Association will continue to be used, as the incorporated status is there to meet the legal and financial requirements during transactions.
Attorney-At-Law Adrian Smith further clarified that this in no way harms the Association’s relationship with the Demerara Cricket Board since the incorporation is provided for under the Cricket Administration Act of 2014.
These actions are also aimed at ensuring the Association is tax compliant, according to Treasurer, Imran Ally.
“One of the reasons we took our Association to have it incorporated, and yes to have the TIN [Taxpayers Identification Number], but also the reason is to be compliant. When you go to these big companies the first thing they are going to ask you is, are you tax compliant, do you have a TIN number, and that is the only way they are going to give you funds and we have encountered some of that before,” Ally explained.
In the past, the issue of non-compliance meant some of the GCA tournaments lacked the required sponsorship.
Now, there has been a recommitment from sponsors, and as such, the GCA soon will launch some major tournaments.