Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Khurshid Sattaur yesterday launched one of three status monitors at the John Fernandes Wharf.
The monitor, which displays a constant flow of information on the status of containers and other shipments, is a move by the GRA to use information technology (IT) to provide and promote a higher level of transparency and accountability.
Information displayed on a status monitor, Sattaur explained, will tell customers when their containers are due to be released or whether they will be held by Customs for examination. This, according to Sattaur, will decrease the need for customers to interact with Customs officers and will save time, thereby promoting efficiency.
Too often, he said, the Customs officers are used as scapegoats when the importer fails to get goods released to their customers in an efficient manner. This blame game, Sattaur stressed, has to be avoided. “The system that currently exists is somewhat transparent. Your receipt which you receive from customs will tell you if [your goods] will be subject to release or examination,” Sattaur explained. Many countries around the world, he said, are using IT to improve services and Guyana has followed their lead. Status monitors have also been installed at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation and the Guyana National Shipping Company wharves.
Meanwhile, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Fernandes Limited Chris Fernandes pledged his support to the GRA’s initiative and he added that the industry was continuously making strides to improve the service being provided to customers.
