Last December, the STF (Supreme Federal Court) unanimously decided that the states and the Federal District can explore lottery modalities along the same lines as the Union. In view of this, state deputy Eduardo Salles asks the Executive to send a project To the Legislative Assembly for the resumption of the Bahia Lottery.
“This is a legal game, as it happens everywhere in the world. The Bahian already places bets on several lotteries in other states and countries. So, I believe that at this moment when we registered a drop in the collection and we need resources to fight the COVID-19 and help to save lives, this source of revenue is fundamental for the state government,” explains Eduardo Salles.
"My nomination proposes that the Executive send a Bill to the Legislative Assembly for the House to regulate the legal exploitation of the Loteria da Bahia, including establishing where to apply the collected funds," he adds.
The deputy, president of the Parliamentary Front of the Productive Sector of Bahia, points out that the problems caused to the economy by the pandemic of the new coronavirus and the departure of Ford from Bahia will impact the execution of the budget recently approved by the Legislative Assembly in the amount of R$ 49,3 billion (us$9.2b).
“Ford, in 2019, just in revenue to the state government, generated R$ 200 million in taxes (US$37.3m). Last year, with the pandemic, that figure fell by half. Now, with the end of its activities, and with other companies in the surrounding automotive sector, the impact on the collection will be huge,” worries Eduardo Salles.
For the parliamentarian, one of the missions of the state deputy is to offer alternatives to the state government to at least maintain the collection and be able to meet the diverse demands of the Bahians.
“Loteria da Bahia was created in 1913, but since 1989 the State has lost that source. Technicians estimate that the revenue from legalized gambling can reach R$ 200 million (US$37.3m) per year, in addition to generating jobs in our state,” concluded Salles.
Source: GMB
