Dear Editor,
I note your article in today’s paper (Feb 15) in which Mr Godfrey Statia, Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, stated that “tuition for the University of Guyana (UG) is not subject to Value Added Tax (VAT) neither is the tuition for the Government Technical Institute, Cyril Potter College of Education or any other government education institution.” Mr Statia seems to have been caught off guard as no further support to his position was provided, only that a press release will come later. Well we saw this in the parking meter fiasco where the GRA made a mess of how VAT should apply to parking meters. It would not be enough to say that because the entity is owned by the state or supported with some state funding that VAT would not apply; just look at GPL ‒ similar circumstances but VAT applies.
I look forward to seeing his position on education services with full references to the Act.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
