GRA steps up efforts to tackle smuggling of liquor and cirgarettes with Excise Tax Stamps

The officers will be requesting documents and supporting evidence to corroborate that the items were legally imported. Once they are satisfied that the full payment of taxes was made, payment for the stamps will be facilitated at GRA Headquarters – Cashier counter.

GRA steps up efforts to tackle smuggling of liquor and cirgarettes with Excise Tax Stamps

The Guyana Revenue Authority is encouraging importers of alcohol (except beer) and cigarettes to register for the products to be stamped, which will indicate that they were not smuggled into the country.

Last Thursday, Custom Officers placed the first set of Excise Tax Stamps on imported alcohol at Kings Liquor Outlet.

According to the GRA, the process has been implemented to ensure that all duties and taxes were paid on imported alcohol and tobacco and to verify that these products are legal and safe to consume.

In a statement, the revenue collection agency announced that it has teamed up with the Canadian Bank Note (CBN) to reduce the amount of alcohol and tobacco smuggled through Guyana’s porous borders.

The CBN has committed to designing, producing and shipping stamps to Guyana.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Excise Stamp and Environmental Levy, Mr. Rohan Beekhoo, the stamp is clearly identifiable with a host of security features such as metallic gold inks, heavy ink deposits inherent to the security printing processes, etc. Additionally, Mr. Beekhoo pointed out that officers will be equipped with hand-held scanners to verify whether or not the stamp is authentic, if it was applied to the right product and whether all duties and taxes were paid.

The self-adhesive tobacco and alcohol stamp incur a cost of $8 and $16 per stamp respectively.

Custom Officers have started verification checks to businesses, importers and persons selling these products to determine existing inventories before beginning the stamping process.

The officers will be requesting documents and supporting evidence to corroborate that the items were legally imported. Once they are satisfied that the full payment of taxes was made, payment for the stamps will be facilitated at GRA Headquarters – Cashier counter.

Failure to pay the relevant duties and taxes and subsequently neglect to stamp the products will incur penalties ranging from 300% of the tax-value to five years’ incarceration.

 

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