Private Lotto Operators want to get in on National Lotto Act
By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, Ghanadot

Accra, July 28, Ghanadot - Private lotto operators, mainly the Ghana Lotto Operators Association (GLOA) has called on the government as a matter of urgency, to amend the National Lotto Act (Act 722), 2006 to enable the private sector operators get into the industry.

This will help increase revenues, create jobs for the teeming youth, maintain public-private sector equilibrium and fair competition in the lotto industry.

The Secretary of GLOA, Mr. Seth Asante Amoani made the call a press conference held in Accra, yesterday to state their position on matters emanating from the Supreme Court decision of the 22nd July 2009, banning GLOA from operating lotto in Ghana, and matters arising on GLOA’s future.

Mr. Amoani added that GLOA was deeply affronted by the subtle and deliberate attempt by the current directors at the National Lotto Authority (NLA) to permanently crush the operations of GLOA, who were branded “avowed supporters of the NDC Government in the 2008 elections”.

“We at GLOA view the efforts by a few selfish men to prevent private sector participation in lottery, to be unfortunate and unpatriotic, at a time when government is expected by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to reduce employment in the public sector”, he stressed.

Mr. Amoani explained that the misleading argument put forward by NLA, posited on monopoly and revenue generation was flawed.

The Secretary of GLOA observed that the development of this country would be accelerated through a carefully structured government support for private businesses to widen the economic base of the nation, greater revenue mobilization, unemployment reduction, and providing the needed private sector buffer to the government to focus on key aspects of our development.

The private lotto operators were happy with the efforts of government, after the Supreme Court decision, for convening a meeting with the GLOA and NLA to find a middle-way solution to the current economic difficulties and mass unemployment created across the country by the cruel Act 722 (2006).

Mr. Amoani revealed that the creation of the NLA was originally proposed by the GLOA, to serve as the regulator and not as an operator of lotto in the country.

However, after contributing to the debates to restructure lotto industry in Ghana, a development viewed by many discerning Ghanaians as a deception of Parliament and the good people of Ghana.

According to him, this great deception was orchestrated through the institution of Parliament to create and foist on Ghanaians a law which created opportunities for only a few appointees of the previous administration, and promoted massive unemployment to 5000 families and citizens who depended on lotto operations for their livelihoods.

The GLOA stated unequivocally that the creation of a monopoly in a democratic dispensation must be condemned, as it was an anathema to the progress of majority of people who depended on lotto to eke out a living.

“It must be said that the monopoly created for the NLA is just a bad as bad governance, and we improve the Government of President Mills to live up to its, and effect the needed amendments to Act 722 (2006).

 

Nkrumah’s centenary tree-planting exercise reaches Ashanti Region

Accra, July 27, Ghanadot/GNA — Thirty million tree-seedlings have so far been planted since the exercise began five months ago to commemorate the centenary birthday of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President.... More