GRA charges RAMPS Logistics with false customs declaration but company denies

Last Updated on Thursday, 6 October 2022, 5:17 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) said the Trinidad-headquartered RAMPS Logistics (Guyana) Inc. has been slapped with 10 charges of making false customs declarations, but the company denied the allegations and stopped short of suggesting that it was retaliatory action for challenging government’s Local Content regime.

GRA said after recently completed investigations carried out by its Law Enforcement and Investigations Division the 10 charges have been instituted in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on October 5, 2022 against Ramps Logistics (Guyana) Inc. in accordance with the provisions of the Customs Act. Chapter 82:01.

“The investigation determined, among others, that during the period of 2021 to 2022, the said Company made several untrue declarations to the Revenue Authority,” the GRA said in a statement.

The Revenue Authority, noting that it was seeking a ‘level playing field’ for legitimate businesses and the collection of revenue, is once again encouraging individuals/companies involved in any such illicit activities to cease and desist from committing such violations, and bring their businesses into compliance with the nation’s tax, trade and border laws.

But the company hinted that GRA imposed the charges five days after  it filed an application for review against the Local Content Secretariat as a form of retaliation.

RAMPS Logistics denied violating Guyana’s Customs Act. “Every declaration filed by the GRA is in respect to Duty Free importations. There are no taxes or duties applicable on the imports and so there is no loss of Revenue to the GRA,” the company said.

The company issued a timeline showing that on July 12, the GRA wrote to RAMPS Logistics informing us of an investigation into alleged false declarations and on July 25 its lawyers wrote GRA responded on why the allegations raised by the GRA had no basis in law and clearly outlined the sections of the Guyana Customs Act that they relied on to form this  opinion.

According to the company, eight weeks later on September 29, the GRA responded but “does not address any of the legal points raised” by its lawyers.

The company said it does not breach the laws of any company it operates in and “have always been transparent in everything we do. “We will continue to operate with the highest levels of integrity. We continue to be committed to Guyana and hope for a fair and speedy resolution of this situation.”