Dear Editor,
I refer to the issue of internet cafés and the GRA.
Why is it that every time young people in this country try to make something of themselves they are given the harshest treatment? Why can’t the Government of Guyana give young people a chance to grow?
I am 25years old and I have managed to open a small business which is in the nature of an internet café. Now this may seem a very profitable business, but it’s not. I make enough income to take me through UG where I am trying to educate myself and make myself a better person.
Now when the government is going to fight me down, a hard-working young man, to close down the one business venture that I have managed to keep alive to sustain myself, what are you telling me to do?
If I have a very lucrative business plan there is nowhere I can go to get financing, and so it is either forgotten or passed onto someone who has the finance. Please don’t even mention the small business loans; for you to get this you need to have $500,000 worth in assets to get to borrow $50,000, and tell me please, what business can you start with $50,000? The bottom line is, money makes money.
Please don’t get me wrong; I am fully aware that there are laws by which we must abide, but at the same time everyone has to survive, so what I am suggesting is that instead of putting a youngster who is trying honestly to make a living out of his livelihood, why not work along with him to make him better and by so doing make Guyana a better place.
Now it’s simple. I understand that revenue is lost due to the internet cafés because most outbound calls are made through the internet. To regain the tax all that has to be done is have the internet café pay whatever tax is required, so if someone makes a call from the larger providers or the internet café the country will gain its revenue. But then I’m sure you will tell me that there are contracts that prevent persons from making calls from networks other than GT&T, because they have the monopoly. That is another issue, because such arrangements need to be re-examined.
Growing up in Guyana I always thought that here was the place that I would always want to be, but each day as I live and I try all that I can think of, it makes me think differently. There is nothing here for the youths and we are either left to struggle until we reach where we are hoping to go, or in the worst case, if they are not strong enough they become criminals.
But luckily I’m a hard worker and when one door closes another one will open. When I have finished studying in about eight months time I’ll be making a choice of staying in Guyana and serving my country or going somewhere else. Which do you think I will make?
Yours faithfully,
R Blyden
The country is so backwards my friend, you can’t help but notice it all around.
1. According to GT&T, all outbound calls must go through their network. Yeah right! Thank God for the emerging and converging technology.
2. The state of our roads are in a mess – potholes, a few signs and signals here and there, hardly any high-visibility road signs.
3. They can’t deal with the minibus issue – boom boom, overloading, fares, etc.up until now.
4. Garbage collection is poorly and so hastily done that the collectors leave the place looking and smelling worst than before.
5. No one sees the need for the tweaking of the traffic lights at some junctions
6. City council still send people in the dirty drains to cut grass with cutlass, and desilt the drains with their hands – tell ya about caring for ya human resources
7. Presi is visionless really, the government does things in a ad-hoc and reactive fashion. The things he get right are tokens it seems
8. They talking about grow more and grow more…….maybe they should lead the way with distributing some white-elephant lands around de place to serious farmers
9. The judicial system in a mess…..backlogs of cases. The prison and locks are in such a state……
10. GRA in a mess………corruption and runnings…..too much tax on imported vehicles…….what thye doing with all this money???????
11. The Guyana Police Force needs to embrace the use of technology more…..everything they do is so manual and 19howlong…………are they intimidated by computers or maybe they’re not ready for the change……..?
12. Some if not many government institutions closes off to the public at lunch. Tell ya about customer service. Some
13. Place yours here
14. And yours here
Inspite of all these backwardness, we are still better off than some countries…….but it’s this same ***k@#? thinking that will keep us backward!
lol
you are sure right. they are not looking into the future and are not trying to empower our youths. yet again, i think they all strive on the negativity and the stigma behind criminals. everyone says each individual have a choice and they havie the free will of wherther to commit a crime or not. but when you back is up against the wall, the little people will begin to fight each other and kill each other out all for survival. wonder why you have well educated folks turning to crime. they say go to school, get educated and after that there are no opportunities. what a joke.
If you file your taxes then the GRA cannot come and shut the operations down. The issue as to whether VOIP calls are within the GT&T monopoly is not a tax issue and not one over which the GRA has jurisdiction.
I have been rying to get posters to understand that there is a big difference between income taxes and VAT, but probably not with any success:
1. you calculate your income and you pay income taxes on that calculated
income. OK?
2. as a supplier or a provider of goods and services, you have to charge VAT
at 16% as an agent of the Government. That VAT is government money and
you the supplier or provider hold that VAT as a trustee. That VAT you have to
remit to the government irrespective of whether you have a profit or loss in
your business operations.
3. taxes and VAT are totally different, and that is why I have said that the GRA
should send out its auditors to analyse income calculations and determine
the VAT payable. Issuing threats is a form of dictatorship.
4. Clear?
Quote: “But luckily I’m a hard worker and when one door closes another one will open. When I have finished studying in about eight months time I’ll be making a choice of staying in Guyana and serving my country or going somewhere else. Which do you think I will make?”
Absolutely no doubt about it….YOU WILL LEAVE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
A very good submission and all in line with my previous opinions.
Whatever taxes, more likely VAT, are due, then the GRA needs to do an assessment and send the notice. Simple.
But to deem the operations illegal and all that hogwash is rediculous.
Finish your studies and hightail out of there…..pronto.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
What a Pity Internet Cafes in Guyana are closed down
It is a pity that the Government of Guyana is currently displaying a show of force against the unexpecting, unfortunate and susceptible masses of Guyana who account for 80 percent of the population.. Two events that encapsulates this obtained heavy media coverage and attention in recent times. One being the forceable adjustment of the prices for fuel at the gas pump of a private businessman.
It goes to show that our autocratic government have a very thwarted agenda to oppress the people of our country by telling us what prices we must pay. I believe it is customary that a democracy imposes price control to lower prices but since The average man must pay their prices and must be forced to resell at their prices, we have empowered a government that works against us.
Still I believe that the majority of us have not got the big picture where we are forced to do things in an anti-competitive way that is negative for our personal economic development.
The other issue is that The Government is forcing the GRA to sanction the Internet Cafes for using features to allow cheap and affordable calls to the public. Imagine a case where internet Cafes are able to offer oversea calls at G$20 and in some cases G$10 per minute which works out to US$0.10 and US$0.05 per minute contrasted to a cost of $35 per minute to the United States using our local land line services. Rates to the Caribbean are exasperatingly higher.
I find it counter democratic that they went even further make a ridiculous move in the month of December to block all the Yap Jacks from dialing through their lines. Their argument was that “These individuals and businesses have essentially created illegal telecommunications networks that employ authorized VSAT equipment for unlawful purposes or VSAT equipment without the requisite licenses, SIM banks, broadband, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and international Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) providers like Vonage, Skype, and Packet 8 to offer outbound and inbound voice calls to the public for a fee. These operations are illegitimate and essentially result in tax evasion since no revenue is paid on these calls,” the GRA had declared.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/news/go-after-internet-cafes-cabinet-urges-gra/
Can someone please define tax evasion for me. Since there are laws governing the use of the VSat Equipment, claims of illegitimate use can be warranted. BUT to say that VOIP services are illegal and a means of tax evasion, is like saying that producing your own Bio-diesel to run your car on is illegal because you opt not to use the imported gasoline that attracts heavy Government tax.
I have a solution. If anyone want to chat with their family and friends, and have a Personal Computer at home make contact with me and I will help you to get the system so you can chat internationally with your friends and using your computer at the lowest rate.
At the time I am writing this article there are 68 comments by concerned citizens on the Stabroek news website on this article if you feel concerned make your voice heard. Let us save our communication and freedom of speech.
Read on my blog http://ranfred-success.blogspot.com and subscribe
What you fail to realize is that there is an agenda by seemingly backwardness in policy making. Don’t you think that the GRA are fully aware of this. Look beneath the curtain and you will see how predictable the move is. The government talk about poor international calls suddenly, then GRA going after illegal internet cafe. This has to me that some company is waiting behind th seen to launch international calls so a story is created now. Obviously GRA cannot feel that put people out of business is a better option to designing a policy that can generate income both for the government and small businesses. Read between the lines my friend and stop blowing hot air, these people know exactly what they are doing. They went to school like most individuals have.
Sounding like Guyana Times all over again. But yes, there always seems to be an ulterior motive.
I think that they are way too many big busineess etc that not paying taxes…leave the internet cafes alone they provide a vital sevice…I guess Gt& T need them out of existence to keep there revenues high.
Greedy GT&T!!!!!!!!!!
i quite agree…i also have an internet cafe and although everyone is thinking we make the world of money no we dont..and working from 8am to 11pm every nights had i had alot of money i wont be working?? the country dont even have enough jobs its not easy to get a loan if you dont have collaterals..how are we young people suppose to live??
come on man give us a break!!!
Guyana needs more of you Blyden. I agree with you on the challenges for business and prospects after education. I know the best choice you have is to leave, but if you do remember the struggles and return when possible to help the young and the educated. Maybe start a bank that understands the challenges of the small man and provides the expertise to guide innovation. Further you can enlist more like yourself and do comprehensive research and propose new solutions and structures that make business a viable option for the young. In the near future, as business continues on a global path, the Guyanese way of business will drive the nation into eons bygone. Keep the faith and get that degree. Stick to business wherever you go and cast a mind’s eye back home. Thanks.