Government must take another look at Lottery law- Operators

Accra, July 2, GNA - Marketing organisations working under the Ghana Lotto Operators Association (GLOA), on Thursday appealed to government to take a look at the operations and functions of the National Lotto Authority (NLA).

They noted that the NLA, which was to serve as a regulator was now playing the role of an operator.

They further contended that the Department of National Lotteries, which was transformed into the NLA as an operator and a regulator of lotto in the country, is viewed by many Ghanaians as "deception of Parliament and the people of Ghana."

"This deception was perpetrated by using the institutions like Parliament to foist on Ghanaians a law which created opportunities for only a few appointees in the previous government," they added. At a press conference in Accra Mr Kweku Antwi-Boadu, Secretary of the Marketing Organisations, therefore called for a neutral body that would regulate and streamline the activities of both private and public organisations in the lotto industry.

He contended that the NLA Act 722, had thrown more than 500,000 workers out of job, thereby creating hardship for their families and appealed to government to amend it. "Government must as a matter of urgency, amend the National Lotto Act to enable the private sector operators to take part in the industry to help maintain equilibrium."

Mr Antwi-Boadu recalled that during the PNDC era, PNDC Law 223 found it expedient to allow private sector participation in lotto. This, he said, enabled private lotto operators to engage them as marketing agents to sell their books thereby creating jobs. He noted that GLOA had been of help to them in the past years and it was only through the proposed amendment that the Association would provide them with jobs.

Mr Antwi-Boadu said: "It was a great deception for the NLA to claim that they wanted to work with us when most of us cannot use the mini computer unit they are operating."

He cited the recent World Bank conditionality to government to reduce the number of public sector employees saying "there need to be corresponding private sector job creation to absorb most of these workers". He said the private lotto operators, create jobs, fulfil their tax obligations and corporate responsibilities. Mr Ato Konduah, a Consultant to GLOA, said the collapse of the activities of GLOA had led to the halt of some developments in some of the districts. "If a law is made to reduce the citizens to poverty, then all must be concerned about that law," he added. 02 July 09