(Below is the full text of a press statement issued this morning by the Guyana Revenue Authority on the above mentioned issue)
Motorists who may have been baffled or perturbed by the requirement to pay additional fees when renewing motor vehicle licences should take note of the following:
The 2016 Budget provided for an increase in motor vehicle licences and other fees effective March 14, 2016, under the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act Cap: 51:02, relating to motor vehicle licences and other fees including Registration, Transfers, Certificate of Fitness, Driver’s Test of Competence, General Dealers Licence etc.
Prior to the passage of the 2016 National Budget, the GRA had suspended the processing of transactions for Drivers’ licence, Transfer of Registration, Certificate of Fitness, Driver’s Test of Competence and General Dealer Licence, with the EXCEPTION of the Sale Of Motor Vehicle Licences. This exception was necessary since consideration was given to the difficulties that the Guyana Police Force would have encountered in taking enforcement action on delinquent motorists after the grace period of the Sale of Motor Vehicle Licences, given the fact that Motor Vehicle Licences now expire on the anniversary date of the motor vehicle registration and not on December 31, 2016.
Consequent to the Budget 2016, the increase in Motor Vehicle Licence fees were being charged effective from January 1, 2016 instead of March 14, 2016 when the bill was assented by the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. This has since been corrected.
GRA wishes to advise that:-
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Motorists with renewal dates between January 1 and March 13, 2016 were required to pay the old fee and any additional fees paid when the licences were renewed will be off set on their next renewal date in 2018.
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Motorists with renewal dates between March 14 and December 31, 2016 were subject to the new/ increase fees and any renewal done using the old fee would require to pay the difference of the increase fee at the next renewal date in 2018.
The GRA wishes to apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
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