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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