Lucas should be fired- Jagdeo

The Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo following what is being viewed as a major shake-up at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), says Chairman of the Authority’s Board of Directors, Rawle Lucas should be fired and not the other staff.

Head of the Human Resources Department of GRA, Archana Joshi and Head of Customs and Excise, Jameel Baksh, were dismissed. Reasons given for dismissal by the Chairman was the unsatisfactory extent to which revenue was being collected in the Customs Division and the conditions under which staff members were working.

Jagdeo during a media conference on Wednesday said it is unfair for the other staff to bear the responsibility of the failures of the entity.

“How do you fire the human resource manager for revenue shortfall? And then the other person who is heading customs will retire anyway in August. So why fire him now? If there is a revenue shortfall, the chairman of the board should be fired” Jagdeo told reporters.

Jagdeo argued that revenue shortfalls are not the fault of the staff, but rather the heads of the agencies, noting that “the head of these agencies bear responsibility.”

He also attributed this shortfall to the slothfulness of the economy.

Jagdeo said the reshuffling is a facade by the government since according to him, a Commissioner General has been selected some two months ago.

He said too that the opposition is observing the evolving situation at the GRA.