-Importer refused to follow agency?s procedures ? Khurshid SattaurThe Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is refuting the claims made by importer Bashoon Habeeb in an article which appeared in the July 21, 2012 edition of the Kaieteur Newspaper under the caption ?Customs seized $$$millions in goods imported from Suriname?.Commissioner General, Mr. Khurshid Sattaur, speaking on the matter, said, ?The article contained a number of inaccuracies and it would appear as though the intention of the article was to malign the image of the organization.?According to the agency,[url=http://www.wholesalesportsjerseys.us@#$%&/]Cheap Sports Jerseys[/url], on Tuesday, July 17,[url=http://www.wholesalesportsjerseys.us@#$%&/]Wholesale Authentic Jerseys[/url], 2012 at 8.00 hrs, the agency received information that the motor vessel ?Victoria? which departed Nickerie the previous afternoon (Monday, July 16, 2012) laden with goods did not report to Customs at Corriverton. This was not the norm, since all boats arriving in Guyana are required to report to the Customs on the day of arrival and pay all applicable duties and taxes.At 14.30 hrs the vessel ?Victoria? reported to the Customs at Corriverton and permission was given for the vessel to offload. However, the importer, Bashoon Habeeb, refused to offload the goods, when she was informed that the import documents were not processed and that the goods would have to be lodged in the GRA?s bond,[url=http://www.2017draftshop@#$%&/david-njoku-jersey/]David Njoku Jersey[/url], pending investigations.Subsequently,[url=http://www.salecheapjerseys.us@#$%&/]NFL Cheap Jerseys China[/url], on Wednesday, July 18,[url=http://www.cheapestnfljerseys.us@#$%&/]Cheap NFL Jerseys China[/url], 2012 at 15.00 hrs, the agent of the ?Victoria? once again reported to the Customs officials at Corriverton. The goods were discharged and taken to the bond pending the outcome of the investigative report. The report was received on Thursday, July 19, 2012 at 8.00hrs and revealed that the quantities discharged, matched the quantities stated on the cargo manifest submitted by Customs Officials in Nickerie.This information was further substantiated by the written statements of the boat crew.As a result of the above, instructions were given on Thursday, July 19,[url=http://www.cheapestnfljerseys.us@#$%&/]Jerseys NFL Wholesale[/url], 2012 at 9.30 hrs for the payment of taxes and fine to be imposed for the contravention of Section 28 of the Customs Regulations of the Customs Act Ch: 82:01. The Customs declarations were then processed, allowing the importer to pay the relevant taxes and the goods were subsequently released to the importer at 11.00 hrs.GRA further noted that importers arriving with goods from Nickerie are required to report to Customs the following morning for the payment of duties and taxes on all the items imported. During several meetings held with Importers at Corriverton, Customs officials were informed that some boats remain on the water overnight and discharge the goods which are not listed on the cargo manifest before reporting to Customs.As such, it would appear that despite efforts to facilitate importers in Berbice and the expeditious processing of documents without comprising revenue collection, some recalcitrant importers are bent on giving the GRA a bad name, Sattaur said.Mr. Mohamed Latiff whose photograph appeared in the newspaper was very vociferous at a previous meeting held with importers. He stated that boats remaining on the waters overnight are engaged in discharging excess goods in smaller boats and as such these boats should be detained for investigation.Mr. Sattaur contended that Latiff is now aggrieved since the importer involved in this matter is a relative of his.He has always had a grouse with GRA?s efforts to put systems and procedures in place to correct the blatant smuggling activities taking place in Berbice. At a recent meeting held in Georgetown with importers,[url=http://www.cheapjerseysfan.us@#$%&/]Jerseys From China[/url], Mr. Latiff became agitated, abusive and walked out of the meeting when a colleague confessed that the values declared by business persons importing goods into Corriverton from Nickerie are done on fraudulent invoices designed to represent ridiculously low values.The agency has been making enormous strides in minimizing smuggling in the County of Berbice and intensified these measures in August 2011.The Guyana Revenue Authority will continue its anti-smuggling activities as part of its efforts to safeguard the country?s revenue, the GRA head vowed. The agency is also appealing to persons with information regarding smuggling to report same to its Law Enforcement and Investigation Division on 226-2060. All information will be kept in the strictest confidence.