Latest update March 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 07, 2016 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
We recently learnt that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) seized some $30M in suspected smuggled items during the month of January 2016. We were not told correspondingly what was the average value of seizures in previous months, and therefore we assume that the GRA under the post-Sattaur administration is doing a wonderful job in combating smuggling.
If the government believes that then it should have, notwithstanding the absence of negotiations with the public service unions, made a handsome provision within the 2016 Budget for salary increases.
What happens when the negotiations within the unions are complete? Where does the money come from to pay these high increases, which at the minimum should match the 50% already granted to the Ministers? Will the Ministers enjoy another increase when these negotiations are complete?
When are the negotiations going to commence. The government is boasting about its record of presenting two Budgets in eight months, without pointing out that there was a major problem with the first Budget, and that this second Budget is being highly criticized within the country and even from the private sector, which feels that it will provide an economic stimulus.
But the government is not saying why after the same eight months it has not concluded negotiations with the unions on salary increases. It does not need negotiations within the unions to determine the salary increases to the police. The failure to announce an increase for either the police or the army suggests that the salaries of these entities are going to be linked to that of public servants, a most troubling development, because at the minimum the salaries of the police should be doubled. Police cannot fight crime if they have to be worrying how they will provide for their families without being dishonest.
The monies to the pay the increases are there. Sure, GuySuCo is taking a lot of resources, but so too is the electricity subsidy offered to certain communities alone.
The GRA is being reorganized to collect more money. The GRA is seemingly doing well under the post-Sattaur administration. No one is being exempted from scrutiny. The tax file of a leading member of the AFC was said to have been photocopied by the political commissars within the Guyana Revenue Authority.
The GRA has always been seizing items, but very little is often heard as to what happens with some of these cases. It is almost as if they become colder than the mortuary.
A few months ago it was reported in the media that the Guyana Revenue Authority had seized some suspected smuggled chicken. The shipment was said to have been linked to an official of major law enforcement agency in the country.
No one has heard what happened to that shipment of chicken and whether the official was ever questioned in relation to the shipment, but the public did learn about tinted vehicles following an ex- employee of the Privatization Unit, even after the services of that persons had been terminated, and after that person was in office for seven months since investigations began into NICIL.
What is happening is almost like a scene from Pink Panther. There is a lot of pretentiousness and comedy coming out of parts of the government.
The public is not going to be fooled. The public has witnessed fraud charges against a former senior official of the PPP government. But none of the persons alleged to have received the stolen property were charged. Some of those fingered in the investigation are still on the job, including a senior military officer who has not been asked to resign.
The public was told that fuel was illegally obtained from the Guyana Oil Company. The persons were advised to come in and settle the cost of the fuel they illegally uplifted. So far, we have not heard anything about this matter and whether anyone did settle.
The public in such circumstances is not going to take seriously anything that the government has to say about corruption. They are going to be wary about government’s claims of smuggling, when after being told that billions of dollars are being smuggled out of the country each year, there is no report of anyone being charged as yet, months after, for this smuggling. They will want to know whether there are sacred cows when it comes to smuggling and theft.
The government has charged two persons with fraud committed on a state agency, but it has refused stubbornly to investigate allegations that a leading official of the same agency interfered with the procurement process. The government has refused to investigate reports about alleged tampering of qualifications.
So why should anyone take seriously the contention that the government will raise more revenues through its anti-smuggling activities?
Listen to the man that is throwing Guyanese bright future away
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