GMA pushes Customs for faster processing
Stabroek News
June 4, 2004
The Guyana Manufacturers' Association (GMA) has met with officials from the Customs and Trade Administra-tion (CTA) in a bid to sort out obstacles to the efficient clearing of shipments.
A GMA press release stated that a delegation led by President Ramesh Dookhoo met with Commissioner Lambert Marks and other CTA officers. The GMA raised a number of complaints from its members, all of which were addressed while some solutions were identified. Among the problems were the persistent delays in processing documents which the GMA says takes two to three weeks, missing documents, customs officers not at their desks and importers told the system is down. The GMA also said manufacturers face competition from under invoiced imports and that customs needs to be more vigilant in this regard.
The GMA says it has undertaken to lobby policy makers and the donor community for their help with initiatives to improve the efficiency of the CTA. The areas identified include resources to reduce smuggling, software to upgrade the computer system, conclusion of contracts for remission on duties between manufacturers and the government and staff training. The parties have agreed to meet monthly.