‘A confused Guinness drinker’

Dear Editor,

I am a quite confused Guinness drinker, after several decades of imbibing the malt, in Ireland, Scotland, England, Canada, USA, the Caribbean region, and of course, at home, it has finally gotten me dizzy for the first time.

On Friday, July 8, 2011, I paid $460 for a bottle of Guinness from a well established hotel and bar. The host seemed quite surprised that I should ask for a bill. I left. Within the last several months, I have bought Guinness at different facilities: the Banks outlet, supermarkets, bars, restaurants and hotels. Prices have ranged from $200, $300, $360, $460, $500 through to $706. My puzzlement is compounded by other factors, including:

i)    being rendered no evidence of the transaction;
ii)   being rendered a bill showing the VAT tax on the purchase;
iii) being rendered a bill showing the VAT tax on both the purchase and the service charge;
iv)  being rendered a bill without any service charge;
v)    being rendered a bill without any VAT tax;
vi)  being rendered a bill in US currency.

Some persons to whom I spoke say that they really have not paid any attention to these differentiations. As a pensioner I have to.

Could you please invite Guyana Revenue Authority to review and advise on what is the correct process.

Yours faithfully,
E B John