PRESIDENT
ORDERS IMMEDIATE ACTION ON REPORT ON IRREGULARITIES IN THE GRANTING
OF DUTY FREE CONCESSION FOR VEHICLES FOR REMIGRANTS
The Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue
Authority has handed over the Report of the Investigation ordered
by His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Guyana into irregularities
discovered in the administration of the granting of Duty Free
Concessions to remigrants under the vehicles scheme.
The Report dealt solely with the Duty Free Concessions
granted to eighty-six (86) remigrants in August 2003.
The Report identified thirty-one (31) of those
duty free concessions granted as having satisfied all of the qualifying
criteria.
The Report has identified a series of deliberate
acts by Public Officers who violated criteria for the grant of
the duty free concessions to remigrants.
The Report also identified negligence by other
Public Officers who authorised the grant of duty free concessions.
The Report, confined to August 2003 transactions,
left unanswered the actual duration and extent of the fraudulent
activity.
The presentation of the Report has led to the
following directives being issued by His Excellency President,
with immediate effect:
1. Submission of the reports of the Director of Public Prosecution
and the Auditor General’s Department
2. Seizures of all vehicles granted under questionable circumstances
and cancellation of other concessions
3. Extension of investigation into the access of previous duty
free concessions granted to remigrants before August 2003.
March 10, 2004
TOP
Wednesday,
March 10, 2004