The Concerned Lotto Agents Association of Ghana (CLAAG) has made a passionate appeal to the government to take a second look at Act 722 (2006) as promised earlier promised by the government.
Mr. Kwaku Duah-Tawiah, Executive Secretary of the group, at a press conference, explained that certain individuals have politicized the industry and want to make it their own, hence frustrating every effort by government to properly regulate the lotto business.
According to him, government would earn more than the Three Hundred Million Ghana Cedis (GH300m) per annum from private lottery if the law is amended and regularized.
He stated that, the Director General’s plan to register between thirty to fifty lotto operators in each region and charge each person one million Ghana Cedis each, hoping to raise Two Hundred and Fifty Million Ghana Cedis annually is unacceptable.
He says though they have heard the Director General on media platforms trying to explain the outcome of the forum to the public, they had a difficulty accepting his invitation for people to pick forms and register especially when the proposal and salient points such as commissions have not been discussed.
He argued that as things stand now, they are unsure of their status and also claim that it is deceptive for the Director General to create the impression that an agreement has been reached. He stresses that nothing has been discussed.
He is of the firm believe that the Director did not take time to read the proposals they (the agents) sent to him.
They suspect the Director General is trying to impose a huge amount on them so that they will be arrested and jailed when they default; a situation they are unhappy with.
