Importing pets

Dear Editor,

Permit me a few column inches to respond to an article, which appeared in the Sunday

July 7, 2013 edition of the Kaieteur News captioned ‘Is the Guyana Govt charging tourists a tax on their pets?’ The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) thanks Mr Seeram for highlighting this breach in our Standard Operating Procedure on the temporary importation of pets.

This appears to be one of the challenging areas within the Customs laws, and a clear indication that more work needs to be done to ensure that procedures are applied consistently, and visitors/travelling public are educated on the requirements when travelling with pets.

Please be advised that passenger baggage with items such as clothes, toiletries, etc, for personal use, are free of duty and/or tax. However, pets/animals accompanying a passenger for a temporary stay in Guyana are processed separately based on the Customs laws. Upon arrival in Guyana, the traveller must first obtain permission of the Veterinary Officer at the port of entry before proceeding to make the appropriate declarations to Customs. Where the traveller intends to stay in Guyana with the pet for a temporary period, (defined as no longer than three (3) months); Customs Officials will document all necessary details, (including local contact information), and advise the person, that prior to leaving Guyana, the pet must be presented to Customs at the port of departure to confirm re-exportation.

If the animal has to remain beyond three months because of the owner’s extended stay, approval must be sought from the Commissioner-General; otherwise, all applicable duties and taxes on importation of the animal become due and payable.

GRA recognizes that the role of Customs is diverse, and as Guyana rapidly becomes a vacation destination for many persons, our policies and procedures must be commensurate with the forward shift in our tourism industry.

To this end, a number of educational, training and awareness programmes in tourism are planned for Customs officers.

Persons who require additional information or are uncertain of the type of tax an item attracts, are encouraged to contact GRA for the relevant information by calling 227-8822 (ext 2611) or visit our website at www.gra.gov.gy

Yours faithfully,
Khurshid Sattaur
Commissioner-General
The Guyana Revenue Authority