President of Our Party (Naša stranka) Predrag Kojović commented on the information published by the Tax Administration of FBiH that bet shops owe 45.5 million BAM of taxes to the state.
Kojović highlighted that the inertness shown by the ruling coalition SDA-HDZ-SBB regarding this issue is intolerable.
“The published information about the unpaid taxes by bet shops is another undisputable argument which implies to the need for reformation of the attitude towards bet shops. It is inconceivable that organizers of the games of chance, which are not generally beneficial social activities, owe 45 million BAM to the state,” Kojović stated.
Tax Administration also published the information that the total turnover of bet shops until May 2016 only amounted to 582 million BAM, of which 450 million BAM were paid in the name of winnings amounting to 100 BAM, which are not taxable.
“The failure to collect taxes for those 450 million is economically unexplainable and immoral in a country where VAT is paid for the most basic needs such as bread and medicines,” Kojović believes, adding that Our party will insist on its initiative in the Parliament of FBiH that tax on winnings in the games of chance, as well as every other income not generated from labor, amounts to at least 20 percent.
Kojović said that the aim of this initiative is to create a social consensus according to which the interest of mothers, users of health and education sector who feel the lack of basic infrastructure, is more important than the enrichment of owners of bet shops and their political protectors.
“It is unthinkable that someone refuses to pay the debt to the budget, although that is obligatory and the state has the authority to force them to do so. With 45 million BAM, 20 MRIs or 90 scanners can be purchased, or 20 new schools can be built,” Kojović concluded.
(Source: radiosarajevo.ba/photo: vijesti.ba)
