President Ali slams ‘deeply flawed’ ruling which threatens tax system

-hails Chief Justice’s decision as restoring integrity to GRA’s work

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, in a recent live broadcast, issued a powerful statement that a previous court ruling had the potential to seriously harm the work of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the country’s ability to collect taxes.

The ruling was described as fundamentally flawed since it exposes the country’s taxation system to criminality and fraud.

The president was referring to the earlier decision delivered by Justice Gino Persaud.

According to President Ali, many professionals believe the ruling could incentivise the falsification of documents and cripple post-clearance verification.

He said this verification process is the mechanism that allows the GRA to review and correct declarations after goods have passed the port of entry.

The head of state indicated that the government is pleased and reassured by the November 17, 2025, ruling of Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Madam Justice Roxanne George.

He called her judgment compelling, intellectually rigorous, and firmly rooted in the rule of law.

“Justice George’s ruling brings clarity to an area of significant public importance. It upholds the authority of the GRA and restores rationality to the law,” President Ali stated.

He also emphasised that post-clearance assessments are neither new nor optional, saying that they have been a core element of customs administration for decades and are essential to safeguarding state revenue.

President Ali also reminded viewers that the GRA’s ability to verify values and recover correct taxes is an internationally recognised standard endorsed by the World Customs Organisation.

The president contrasted this with the earlier ruling, which he said the GRA has appealed because it is perverse, internally inconsistent, and disconnected from established customs practice and the intentions of the Customs Act.

“If Justice Persaud’s decision is permitted to stand, the implications would be profoundly damaging,” the President said, “No matter how falsified a declaration is, no matter what is discovered after the ruling would bar the State from its rightful revenue. That is wholly inconceivable in a lawful and orderly revenue system.”

President Ali said the ruling would effectively render the customs administration toothless, embolden dishonest declarations, and deprive the country of significant revenue, particularly in cases such as the one under scrutiny, which involved evidence of falsified documentation linked to a luxury vehicle.

He praised Justice George’s decision for re-establishing coherence in the law and ensuring that the GRA can continue fulfilling its mandate without artificial or ill-conceived constraints.

Reaffirming his government’s commitment to protecting the public purse, the president stressed that post-clearance mechanisms support ease of trade while maintaining necessary verification, adding that in this matter, the evidence is glaring and clear.