The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has taken measures to enhance the TRIPS software that has been operational since January in an effort to protect state revenue and root out persons attempting to swindle the Customs Department.
According to a press release from the GRA it installed the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) software in January to assist in data entry, processing and analysis of revenue collection as it aimed to strengthen its systems to facilitate speedy and transparent processing. However, Com-missioner-General Khurshid Sattaur yesterday said that while the software became operational to complement the introduction of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) and the Excise Tax (ET) recently changes were made to allow entry processing at the Cus-toms and Trade Administra-tion.
Sattaur said once there is a faster processing rate of import entries there would be a faster flow of revenue, more transparency and business transactions would be expedited, which is likely to bring about increased imports. Sattaur also said the GRA is introducing risk profile management, which the TRIPS is designed around, and this necessitated the changes. The Commissioner-General said the programme will make some functions within Customs unnecessary as they will be undertaken at a higher level where quality would be emphasised. He said Internal Affairs, Enforcement and Intelligence, Quality Review and the VAT and ET departments would support the TRIPS programme.
Meanwhile Sattaur emphasised that the introduction of this system at Customs does not mean that the checks and balances that previously existed will no longer be in place. "So the importer who feels that we have relaxed our checks and balances should not be disappointed if at some appropriate time their entries are subject to processes required by these other support areas which have replaced the daily classification and evaluation functions" he said. Sattaur said importers who have made appropriate declarations have nothing to fear as their entries would be processed quickly but persons who are indulging in corrupt practices will be detected and the proper taxes imposed upon them. He said there have been several instances where incorrect classifications and valuations have been made and forged invoices attached to entries in a deliberate attempt to defraud Customs and the new system will root those persons out.
The Commissioner-General said he is pleased that the system had been put in place as "over the years it has been a bugbear to administer this system which had the suspicion of being plagued by corruption." He said this was based on the perception of a high level of collusion between Customs officers and importers.
Sattaur said the Customs department has accepted the initiative as the protection of state revenue is of paramount importance and the resultant benefits of its implementation will lead to higher prospects for state revenue.