Jagdeo accuses GRA of encouraging fuel smuggling

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, is of the opinion that the proverbial slap on the wrist that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is giving to fuel smugglers, serves as an encouraging factor to those persons that are robbing the state of much needed revenues. Jagdeo’s comments came at the most recent press conference he held at his Church Street Office.

Jagdeo said that he noticed that the main players on A Partnership for National Unity Campaign Management team were “hustlers.” He also said that some of these are “fuel smugglers.”

On several occasions before, Jagdeo made reference to Dr Richard Van West Charles as being involved in fuel smuggling.

During the press conference, Jagdeo was pointed to the fact that the GRA recently cleared the name of Van West Charles. But Jagdeo said that he cannot understand how this can be so. The former president further stated, “GRA is a creature of this government and you should look at how they have acted in these and other cases. So people are caught with illegal fuel and they get a tiny fine.

Usually, if you are caught with illegal fuel, you often have to pay a fine that is triple the duty paid and you get your vessel and everything seized. But here it is like open season so there is no deterrent. “

Jagdeo continued, “If I get caught I will pop over to GRA and I will work out a nice deal and I can even pay the fine and still make a healthy sum of money. It is how they treat it, the parity in the treatment.

“Examine the law as it relates to illegal fuel and what the powers of GRA are; you will see how lenient they have been in exercising their powers on the rare occasion that these fuel smugglers get caught.

Mind you, it is not rare occasion that they smuggle, just a rare occasion when they get caught.”

(Kaieteur News)