GRA seizes BaiShanLin’s luxury vehicles

Non-payment of import taxes

…owners could strike pay-off deal similar to Glenn Lall’s case

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Tuesday seized two luxury vehicles from controversial Chinese logging company BaiShanLin Forest Development Inc, over millions of dollars in duties owed to the Authority.

GRA Chairman Rawle Lucas

Glenn Lall

The luxury vehicles that were seized on Tuesday

The vehicles, a Lexus SUV with registration number PRR 2888 and a Nissan minivan with licence plate number PRR 3888 were taken to GRA’s storage bond at Eccles, East Bank Demerara following the seizure executed by officials from GRA’s Customs Department.
Guyana Times was told that the Chinese logging company allegedly owed some $50 million in outstanding duties, which it failed to pay within the stipulated timeframe, and as such, the revenue collection body has been trying to recoup the monies for some time now.
When contacted by this newspaper on Tuesday, GRA Chairman Rawle Lucas indicated that while he was aware of plans afoot to seize the vehicles, he was yet to receive updates at the time (mid-afternoon) on whether this operation was carried out.
“I am still awaiting an update on the situation… GRA has indicated that it intended to take possession of some vehicles and it’s supposed to be doing that,” Lucas noted.
While the Chairman did not go into details about the operation, he did note that it was premised on non-compliance on taxes by the company. “I don’t have a full report on the operation. I’m waiting on a full report of the operation. As far as I know, it’s ongoing,” he stated.
Guyana Times understands that BaiShanLin has been under the radar of the revenue collection body for years and recent efforts by the Authority to confiscate the vehicles were blocked.
According to reports, a Government official had instructed the revenue body not to remove the vehicles when customs officers had previously attempted to confiscate them.
In 2014, the GRA highlighted fraudulent activities whereby two Lexus luxury vehicles were seized and charges were subsequently laid against a remigrant couple, Narootandeo and Gharbassi Brijnanan, along with Kaieteur News Publisher Glenn Lall and his wife, Bhena Lall, for allegedly defrauding the Revenue Authority of more than $100 million in customs duties on the two vehicles.
The tax regulatory body claimed that the Brijnanans of Number 61 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, imported two Lexus LX 570 SUV motor vehicles into Guyana in September 2013, under the Government’s Remigrant Scheme.
But the two vehicles were not kept or used by the remigrants, in a breach of the Customs Act and the conditions of the grant of the duty-free concession. The GRA said investigations have revealed that the vehicles were being driven by Lall, and his wife, Bhena. The Authority seized the vehicles and filed six criminal charges against the four.
However, the matters were dismissed when the parties came to a settlement with the GRA. “After some discussions, we were agreeable with the proposal put before us, as we are more inclined to amicable resolutions rather than litigious ones. Notwithstanding, we are prepared to go the distance to protect tax revenues,” then GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur said in a subsequently statement.