Several persons who re-migrated over the last year and were eligible for duty-free benefits will soon be required to prove to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) that they are complying with their status.
Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon, at a press briefing yesterday said that the GRA is to soon begin an audit of those individuals granted special concessions over the last year.
According to Luncheon, the process will be continued for the duration of the period over which the concession is valid, particularly with respect to the importation of motor vehicles.
"Each will be monitored on an annual basis from 2004 and it will continue until the period of assessment lapses", Luncheon said.
The GRA will make a public announcement requesting that persons specified under the category of re-migrant submit themselves for scrutiny. Persons who receive such concessions are expected to have their place of abode here.
Luncheon said that if during the GRA's investigations it is discovered that the persons to whom concessions were awarded in the previous year are not resident here, sanctions, including seizure of the items, would follow. They would only be released on identification of the beneficiary's whereabouts and clarification of his/her status.
Luncheon admitted that this was not the first time that government was seeking to monitor re-migrants as this was the case in the late 90s when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the President and Ministry of Finance commenced such an audit. However, the process had lapsed.
The announcement comes in the wake of allegations that the facility for re-migrants' concessions was being abused. The GRA is investigating the matter.