Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced that his administration will launch a comprehensive investigation into the Customs and Revenue Departments amid growing concerns about irregularities and possible corruption.
Browne told Parliament that the probe will extend across all revenue-collecting entities, aiming to identify weaknesses, root out misconduct, and restore public confidence in government operations.
He said the government is determined to ensure that the nation’s tax and customs systems operate with full transparency and accountability. The investigation will include both internal audits and external oversight mechanisms designed to expose wrongdoing and strengthen procedures.
“We are going system-wide, especially within Customs and other revenue areas,” Browne said. “There will be further redeployments, rotations, and additional systems put in place to include routine spot checks above and beyond those that take place at Customs.”
He revealed that private citizens will also be enlisted to participate in random inspections of containers alongside customs officials, targeting merchants suspected of underreporting or evading duties.
Browne added that similar scrutiny will extend to the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA), where the government suspects some large entities, including supermarkets, may be bypassing electricity meters, depriving the state of revenue.
To oversee the reforms, the government will appoint a “revenue czar” who will work with the Inland Revenue Department to conduct forensic accounting and strengthen compliance.
“There’s a direct correlation between the cost of goods and the amount of duties to be paid,” Browne said. “We will use financial statements and import data to determine what the tax liability should have been and verify it against what was actually paid. We are tightening up system-wide.”
The move follows recent revelations of procedural breaches within government departments, including the Customs Division, which led to redeployments and the resignation of Comptroller of Customs Raju Boddu earlier this week.
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It’s about time.
All these recent shenanigans calls for a comprehensive, full and broad investigation carried out by a noteworthy forensic auditor. Breaches such as this might have been long and far resulting in thousands and perhaps millions of lost revenue for government overtime. It is so very sad when the head of customs is in some way implicated in these shenanigans. Resigning for “health” reasons and running away eh. What a life to live.
Some old timer friends of mine would say that a probe into the customs and revenue departments is maybe 30+ years too late in Antigua but clearly, someone important has been caught with their hand in the cookie jar and these days, it’s far harder to hide the actions of corrupt individuals than decades ago. The dark skies and rain hammering Antigua today are a perfect backdrop to all of this.
About time yes, but this is what I meant when I repeatedly said on this forum that this government has squandered the golden days of Antigua’s economy, because of its failure to regulate these blatant corruptions over the years.
At no time in the history of Antigua has there being more goods and services sold, no time..more money came into this country than what John can read about. Trillions of tons of goods, tourist spending billions, investment pouring in, and we have hardly anything to show for it, because these checks and balances were not put in place.
The golden years of Antigua was between 2013 and now..right after America’s recession. People were traveling and shipping trillions of tons of goods, so that means more duties,taxes, VAT coming in, and where the money?
And don’t even talk about during COVID..Americans were spending billions in the many Stimulus packages that the government were giving out, and a big portion of that money came to the Caribbean, because Antigua and a few other islands were open for traveling.
So, yes he’s doing something now, but who is to blame? It was in his power to put in these regulations, and he failed, now all the money is gone and was stolen..
Damn shame indeed.
The system of governance is not transparent, therefore, investigating itself is futile.
This requires an INDEPENDENT INQUURY set up by the Governor General, even though he appears soft and timid on these vital issues which affect the entire system of governance, as the very least bring in legal investigators and give them the special powers required to get to the bottom, top, side, 360 X 360 degrees, of these shenanigans.
The government cannot be trusted to investigate itself.
The People who claim, that they love country should petition the Governor General for this Special Council from the Commwealth.
Both an ONLINE PETITION and one on the ground should be set up immediately, and drop them on the GG.
This sudden move by the Cabinet looks like it’s more to get this SCANDAL BAGGED up, in a #scandal_brown_bag before the Nation hosts the Heads of State next year. What a thing, if a real inquiry is held and members of the Finance Department have been charged, and are awaiting trial?
You literally cannot make nor fathom the kinds of shit which top officials in Antigua are always embroiled in.
Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
De’ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard
Vere Edwards
Shredding machines will be the top selling item in Antigua going forward.
Corruption central.