FINANCE MINISTRY
WICHIT CHANTANUSORNSIRI
Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee has ordered a review and restructuring of the current lottery ticket distribution system following a protest by hundreds of lottery retailers and vendors in front of the ministry.
Mr Surapong, who was blocked by demonstrators from entering the compound on Thursday, said he expected to see a proposal from the Government Lottery Office (GLO) in three months.
The Finance Minister explained that while the current quota system guarantees fixed earnings for the GLO, many retail vendors do not get their quota of tickets which leads to overcharging for lottery tickets.
A pair of lottery tickets is commonly sold for 100 baht while the actual value is 80 baht.
He said the GLO should work out a fair and transparent allocation of the lottery quota for all parties concerned.
''If GLO executives cannot do this, we will have to find someone else who can,'' said Mr Surapong.
His order followed the noisy protest by lottery vendors on Thursday who demanded a fair quota allocation. The protesters claimed that the sale of government lottery tickets was largely taken over by influential groups and investors.
Mr Surapong emphasised that a new system should be accountable and transparent, saying it should not be like taking away a quota of lottery tickets from one group and giving it to another.
He also criticised the protesters for blocking all the gates on Thursday. The blockade prevented him from entering the ministry compound where he was supposed to chair the opening of the government's cheap goods scheme.
Mr Surapong said winning the lottery is the hope of many, but that did not mean the ministry supported gambling.
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