Uncollected billions point to major GRA problem – Lucas

Rawle Lucas

Billions of dollars in taxes are not collected each year and this points to a major problem of management of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) which seems unable to prevent or control revenue leakage, Sunday Stabroek Business Page columnist Rawle Lucas says.

“Tax collection seems to suffer the most in areas where the GRA is supposed to be responsible for collecting the taxes. The concern that exists here is that four areas of revenue collection that rely exclusively on GRA, namely self-employment taxes, property taxes, Customs duties and the miscellaneous group of taxes, do not seem to be doing so well. Together, they contribute less than four per cent of revenues collected,” Lucas wrote in his column yesterday.

“This outcome points to a major problem of management of GRA which seems unable to prevent or control revenue leakage. These are areas that require good interpersonal skills and excellent customer service. The GRA will have to begin the new year with a vastly different outlook towards taxpayers,” Lucas, who was appointed Chairman of the