Need for remission letters for import of drugs causing delays

Dear Editor,

I would like to appraise you on the progress, or lack thereof, regarding the pursuit of remission letters from the GRA by pharmaceutical importers.

After applying 2 weeks ago, our broker is now being told that an official letter from the Government Analyst department is needed before these letters can be granted. This is two weeks after our broker had to literally run between Lamaha and Robb Streets.

Whenever this is accomplished the commissioner would give his assent to the letters. A time-line for this is again anybody’s guess.

I believe this is time for some introspection and to ask what kind of country in this advanced age of computer technology can see it relevant to implement this type of archaic system.

To compound the agony we are now being threatened by the Customs and Trade department- an arm of the GRA- that interest would be levied for entries not perfected by March 1.

These are the same entries that require remission letters for which none have been issued for the last 2 weeks. How can this make sense and is this not simply state arrogance?

Yours faithfully,

(name and address

provided)