Government waives tax on lotto receivers’ commission

The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has indicated it is working to ensure timely and regular payment of commissions to Lotto Marketing Companies (LMCs), as the government has waived the tax component on the payment of commission to dealers.
The government in the 2018 budget read by the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori –Atta to Parliament waived the tax component on commission paid to LMCs across the country.
The over 7 percent tax component on wins among others which hitherto pushes lotto receivers’ not to stake with the National Lottery Authority have also been waived.
The tax waivers are currently awaiting Parliamentary approval as the budget has been laid on the floor for the receivers to start enjoying the waivers.
Speaking at a short ceremony to announce the government’s decision contained in the 2018 budget to lotto receivers; the Director-General of NLA Kofi Osei Ameyaw said the decision for the waivers were part of the complaints put forward by the Lotto Marketing Companies in their interaction with management of NLA.
According to him, the tax waiver means that there will be no deductions on wins if Parliament approves the budget in the next couple of days.
He explained that the NLA is fighting to get its own platform for drawing wins for it to increase the commission of the LMCs from 20 to 35 percent.
He noted the tax waivers will boost the operations of the NLA in terms of generating revenue for the government.
He further added that this will generate more jobs for the teeming unemployed youth across the country.
He announced that the authority has renovated the office complex of the LMCs for the smooth administration of their activities in the lottery yard.
In a related development, Razak Kojo Poku, the convener of Concerned Voters Movement
(CVM) has rendered an unqualified apology to the Director-General of NLA for perpetuating falsehood about his operations and management style.
He said the issues they raised were false and that they were misled by a Deputy Director of the NLA.
The authority has also launched a Christmas bonanza that allows lotto stakers to use the serial numbers of their coupons for a draw to win consolation prizes from December 2 to 27, 2017.