Dear Editor,
I refer to an article published in the March 20, 2012 edition of the Stabroek News captioned ‘Consumers slam ‘stoop down’ cashier booth at GRA licence office’.
I categorically want to deny that this system is one that has been designed to have persons stoop to transact business at the Licensing Cashier as was portrayed in the photograph in the said article. Please find attached a photograph of a Taxpayer of average height conducting business at the same Cashier cage located at the Licence Revenue Office.
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) recently constructed the additional Cashier Cage in the Licensing Unit to facilitate payment for all transactions requiring a licence rather than have everyone being attended to at the front building of the Licence Revenue Office, where they would be required to join two queues to complete their transaction. This decision by the Guyana Revenue Authority has aided in significantly reducing the time it takes to conduct business at the Licensing Unit.
The measurement of the cashier cage is 5ft, 3.5 inches in length, 4ft, 2 inches in width and 6ft in height and it is not enclosed/sealed at the top and there is a small window to facilitate the submission of documents and payments, as is the case at some other businesses. The glass panels are tinted for maximum protection of the Cashier and clear visibility of the consumer. The height of the Cashier Cage allows persons communicating with the Cashier to be heard clearly. It is therefore evident that there is absolutely no need for anyone of average height to be stooping to transact business at the Cashier. Notwithstand-ing, the GRA is in the process of having the glass panel perforated to further improve the quality of the audio and consumers’ comfort.
This article by a Stabroek News staffer is very malicious, outrageous and biased and seeks to undermine and tarnish the reputation of the Guyana Revenue Authority which makes continuous improvements to its systems to ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness in serving the public. Contrary to what was stated in the last paragraph of the article regarding the commencement of work by the Cashier, I wish to state that the first transaction was done at 8:05hrs. The records of the department would attest to this fact.
The Guyana Revenue Authority is requesting an apology from the Editor of the Stabroek News for this malicious report. I am sending a copy of this response to the Press Association.
In addition I wish to advise the general public that the Guyana Revenue Authority will be relocating all of its departments in the near future to a single location, which would greatly enhance the quality of service being offered by the GRA.
Yours faithfully,
Khurshid Sattaur
Commissioner-General
GRA
Editor’s note: The cashier’s booth may not have been intended for persons to stoop but this was nevertheless happening. We repeat the relevant section of the news item.
“…while Stabroek News was at the office many members of the public–old and young–were observed stooping to make payments; in some cases on their knees on the dusty floor. Those who just had to pay for the licence were spared the humiliation of stooping as the chit and the money could be pushed into the small window sloth and the cashier then produced the licence in the same manner.
“But if the cashier had to speak to the customer or vice versa then one would have to stoop.
One woman said she could not bend because her knees were “not good” and it was a difficult process communicating with the cashier. In the end, after some amount of shouting, she heard that her documents were not found.”
