Response to Sase Singh’s letter “Why has GRA’s Annual Report for 2015 not been laid in Parliament?”

Dear Editor,
The Guyana Revenue Authority wishes to respond to a recent letter from Sase Singh in the Stabroek News and Kaieteur News captioned, “Why has the GRA’s Annual Report for 2015 not been laid in Parliament?”
The Guyana Revenue Authority wishes to advise as follows:
1. The Audit of the Revenue Statements for the fiscal year 2015 was completed by the Audit Office of Guyana. Officials from the Revenue Authority were thereafter summoned to appear before the Public Accounts Committee in relation to the findings that were highlighted in the Auditor General’s report.
2. The GRA’s Annual Reports, however, are dependent on the finalisation of both the audit of the Agency’s revenue and its expenditure, and the ensuing Financial Statements, which form an integral part of the report. The Audit Office of Guyana has since completed the audit of the Financial Statements for the year 2011. This is presently with the printers, and will be presented to the National Assembly shortly.
3. The audit of the Financial Statements for the years 2012 and 2013 are currently being finalized, and the laying of these reports will follow shortly thereafter.
4. The Guyana Revenue Authority does not believe in double standards, and agree that this inherited state of affairs must be immediately addressed, with both the Audit Office of Guyana and the Revenue Authority showing a firm commitment to bringing the audited Financial Statements up to date. This will allow the Agency’s conformity to not only the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act 2003, but also the Revenue Authority Act 1996.

Godfrey Statia
Commissioner General,
Guyana Revenue Authority