GRA revamps to speed up container delivery time
With ongoing complaints about delays in clearing goods from the wharves, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is moving to introduce what it says is a world-class data system that reduces processing time and increase efficiency. The implementation of the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) is expected after a feasibility study is completed. The program will replace the current faulty TRIPS (Total Revenue Integrated Processing System) which has over time been going down. ASYCUDA, officials said, will be modified to local conditions and will see Customs and the various departments at GRA fully interlinked for better information sharing. Several representatives from the wharves, along with shipping agents and Customs brokers, gathered yesterday at GRA’s headquarters on Camp Street, Georgetown, for the first in a series of consultations. Delivering opening remarks, the Head of Customs and Trade Administration, Lancelot Wills, disclosed that the new system will eventually result in enhanced trade, a paperless environment, implementation of international best practices and increased efficiency. Wills explained that Guyana will be the last English-speaking country in the region to adapt the system, placing the country at an advantage to learn from the lessons of others.
The new system would be tailored to local needs and shorten the time take to expedite goods, he added. The presentation was conducted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Consultant, Terrence Leonard and Information Technology Specialist, Fabian Joseph. Leonard, a former St. Lucian Customs Comptroller, disclosed that the benefits include better risk management, particularly of high-risk cargo, and systems to target the ‘bad guys’ despite them being the minority, and better efficiency. Leonard also made reference to the need for the GRA to follow its international counterparts by working smarter and not necessarily harder. He cited one example where it takes about seven days to process to clear a shipping container. The new system, if allowed to work properly, could reduce that time to one day.
(Kaieteurnews.com)