General News of Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Source: GNA

Government urged to take games sector serious

Kumasi, Feb. 10, GNA - The government has been advised to give greater attention to the games and lotteries sector to help the country derive the needed revenue for development.

Mr Dominic K. Asamoah, a former executive member and advisor of the National Lotto Receivers Union, who gave this advice in an interview in Kumasi, noted that the DNL has the potential to be a major source of revenue for development. The Department of National Lotteries (DNL) is believed to have the potential to collect revenue for development if put under effective hands, he said.

Mr Asamoah said the illegal lotto operators make over twice the revenue collected by the official government agency every year, adding that it was about time that practice came to an end. He said the President Mills administration in its bid to make the Department of National lotteries effective and capable of the task, should appoint individuals from the rank of the DNL to head the sector.

While calling on government to adopt proper measures to generate revenue in the sector, Mr Asamoah also called for the discouragement of illegal lotto operators known as "banker to banker".