GPSU lashes out at GRA Chairman for staff dismissals

Chairman of the governing board of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rawle Lucas has come under fire from the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), for his decision to fire two senior officers of the tax body.

GRA chariman, Rawle Lucas
GRA chariman, Rawle Lucas

In late June, Lucas announced that the Board had given its no objection to the dismissal of two senior staff members; Head of the Human Resources Management Division, Archana Joshi and Head of Customs Jameel Baksh. According to him, the move was taken as the organisation sought to realise its objective of improving its relationship with Guyanese taxpayers and increasing the collection of revenues.

But on Friday, the GPSU lashed out at Lucas, saying that his external interference has moved the environment of the organisation to a hostile and insecure one for staff at all levels, evidently resulting in low morale and motivation.

The workers union promised to assist workers who are currently being confronted with what it said are “unwarranted challenges”. It promised workers too that they would be properly represented against excessive action being meted out arbitrarily and without merit. However, it urged all staff to maintain their professionalism and to continue to deliver quality service to the public which enhances the image of the Revenue Authority in the national interest.

The Revenue Authority said that it had made significant changes in what it deemed were some critical areas of operation, with the firing of the Heads of the Human Resources and Customs departments.

“We were not satisfied with the extent to which our revenues were being collected with respect to our customs operation and we felt that it was in the best interest of the organisation to make some changes,” Lucas had explained.

Emanating from an in-depth review by the Board and from a number of concerns raised by the business community, Lucas said the GRA has reshuffled the system, taking former head of the law enforcement and investigation division, Carol Chapman to oversee the transition programme.

The transition programme, he said, is the new vehicle now being used, to put the organisation back on its right path. According to Lucas, the GRA currently operates as a functional type organisation that essentially reflects functions or tasks that have to be performed by various persons.

According to him, it was found that those organisational arrangements are insufficient to enable the authority to maximise revenue collection. (Alexis Rodney)