Monrovia,
December 3, 2013:
The Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia National Lotteries
Corporation, Mr. Martin S. Kollie renews calls for Government to take complete
control over the gaming industry in Liberia.
Mr. Kollie made the
statement on Monday, December 2, 2013 at his Du-port Road offices in Paynesville, outside Monrovia upon
his returned from a three-day’s session at the second sitting of the African Lottery
Association Regional Forum, held in Bamako, Mali from the 21st – 23rd
November 2013.
According to press
release of the National Lotteries, Mr. Kollie who served as one of the
key-panelists during the s
He said for the Lotteries industry in Liberia
to move forward and improve; it must have full jurisdiction and oversight on
all games of chance in the country.
The CEO of the National
Lotteries further disclosed that other African countries are doing well within
their Lottery industries, including: the Ghana National Lottery Authority,
Ethiopia Lottery Administration, Loterie Nationale of Mali, Loterie Nationale of Senegalese among others: as it
pertains to their operational functions and contributing towards their
countries’ national budget, as well as achieving their social corporate
responsibilities based on their strong regulatory powers and laws.
He indicated that most
of his trips to these countries have broadened his vision to reform and
transform the Liberia National Lotteries: as the lotteries’ successes of these
countries were not magic, but a strong law.
Mr. Kollie noted that other
countries; including Ghana National Lottery Authority, contributes GH₡ One
hundred eighty-eight million and four thousand Ghanaian Cedi to the country’s
national budget.
“Had you been to Ghana
before this interview, you will get to understand that the Ghana National
Lottery Authority is doing extremely well in terms of their lottery activities.
They remit GH₡ One hundred eighty -eight million, and four thousand to the
State, with the exception of taxes that the Authority received from those
gaming entities. The Lottery Authority of Ghana also generates GH₡ Five million
Cedi per week from their weekly lotto’s draws,” Mr. Kollie asserted.
He expressed that the
Ghana National Lottery Authority is ranked the highest revenue ever in its
history; a performance review which placed the institution to be the leading
revenue generating entity in Ghana and placed the country among the world’s top 10 fastest growing
economics.
He however called on
the Ministry of Justice and the Law Reform Commission, along with the Honorable
House of Legislature in helping to re-structure and amend the 1993 Act that
created the National Lotteries, so as to empower the Liberia National Lotteries
in having absolute authority over all games of chance in Liberia and to help
generate revenue for the Government.
The meeting which
brought together key Stakeholders and Executives from Morocco, Ivory Cost, Mali,
Liberia, Senegal, Togo among others of the African Lottery; sought to address
issues of concerns within the African Lottery Industry and also to prepare for
the 2014 African Lottery Association Meeting, scheduled to be held in Dakar,
Senegal.
The intend of the CEO’s
visit to Mali was also meant to form part of
the preparation for the upcoming African Lottery Association (ALA)
Summit, scheduled for March 2014, in Dakar, Senegal and to hold discussions
with one of the most reputable Horse Racing Betting Authorities of Europe, the
Pari Mutuel Urbian of France.
After every two years,
officials of the African Lottery Association (ALA) converge to discuss critical
issues of the industry and to draw up the calendar of event for the next
Executive sitting of the Association, as a matter of core and custom.
The participation of
the Government of Liberia, through the Liberia National Lotteries Corporation
has been recorded as the first time in the history of the African Lottery
Association (ALA) since it was founded in 1981 and a sign of positive reform
step of Liberia’s Lottery Industry.
According to the Lotteries
Boss, Mr. Martin Kollie, Liberia was the only English speaking country that
attended the ALA’s Executive Meeting, which gave the country much attention and
opportunities to interact with other advanced Lottery companies, including the Pari Mutuel
Urbain (PMU) of France, a company that is popular for its Horse Racing Gaming
activities in Europe and Africa’s #1 Lottery Industry, Loterie Nationale of Morocco
as a means of helping in improving the Liberia’s Lottery sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of
the Liberia National Lotteries, further disclosed that Pari Mutuel Urbian (PMU)
will host the African Lottery Award, next year April, in Paris, France where
Liberia will be highly represented.
He said discussions were held and
agreed upon that all African Lottery Leaders will form part of the occasion,
for which a winner from that program will be awarded the African Lottery Award.
Mr. Kollie also indicated that
sideline discussions were held with the General Directors of Loterie Nationale
de Cote d’Ivoire, Mr. Fofana Issiaka,
Loterie Nationale of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Samba Kane and also the Malian
first female Finance Minister, Ministre de I’Economie et des Finances, Madam
Bouare Fily Sissoko; in order to form a bilateral partnership, as a means of
knowledge sharing, capacity building, a joint-cooperation of responsible gaming
and preventing frauds and also providing security on internet gaming.
In conclusion, Mr. Kollie said
that his vision for the National Lotteries is for the government to be in full
controlled of the gaming activities in Liberia and hope by 2014-2015, Liberia
National Lotteries will be a different institution in supplementing Government’s
effort and achieving her social responsibilities.
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| CEO Martin S. Kollie, Liberia National Lotteries |
