<<Print>>

Over 400 members of the Western Regional Lotto Receivers Association (WRLRA) have embarked on a strike action, stating that they would not receive lotto coupons from the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) to sell until government restores their previous 25 per cent commission. Lotto writers in Accra and other parts of the country have embarked on a strike action for the past one week due to the reduction in their commissions. They contended that government gets appreciable revenue to execute various projects through their operations and wondered why without any tangible reason, the 25 per cent commission offered them after selling the lotto coupons was reduced to 20 per cent. �If the NLA will not increase our commission, why slash it when the government or for that matter the Authority does not pay us any social security benefits, no hospital allowance, but only gives us commission,� the aggrieved members of the Association stressed. Speaking to DAILY GUIDE last Friday, the executives of the Regional branch, led by Anthony Papa Gaisie, said all the members had resolved to close their lotto kiosks until the Authority resolves the impasse. The spokesperson said several appeals made to government and the Authority through their national leaders had fallen on deaf ears. The members have expressed dissatisfaction with the payment they make for replacement of accessories on their TPM machines. �There have been instances where some of our members paid between GH�30.00 and GH�40.00 to the NLA after servicing our Portable Automatic Data Processing Machine (PADPM), let alone when the battery gets damaged. Some of the members, who spoke to DAILY GUIDE on condition of anonymity, said some NLA officials charged GH�120.00 before replacing their damaged machines. According to Anthony Papa Gaisie, who is also the Chairman of Western Regional Lotto Receivers Association, some members revealed that they paid GH�27.00 before being issued with new ones. �We feel aggrieved and cheated by the NLA because the Authority used to pay us 25 per cent and cannot understand why the sudden reduction of our commission to 20 per cent when we are doing good job for the Authority�. He appealed to the government to urgently address the problem to enable the receivers open their kiosks for business. The regional chairman or spokesperson was accompanied by regional executive members including Nana Gyansah, Vice chairman, Grace Owusu-Ansah, second trustee, Solomon Adjei, Executive member, Grace Aduku, Welfare officer and Papa Adams, Member. When the Western Regional Manager of National Lotteries Authority, Elvis Mensah was contacted, he refused to comment, but asked DAILY GUIDE to contact the Public Affairs Department of NLA in Accra. However efforts to contact personnel of that department proved futile.