“The Betting (Totalisator) Agency Board must make it a priority to establish a law that will incorporate both the Gaming Act 1978 and the Totalisator Agency Board Act 1990. The Committee recognises the importance of having just one legislation that guides betting activities in Samoa and other relevant activities”
Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, has rejected three out of four recommendations made by a Parliamentary select committee about the Totalisator Agency Board (T.A.B).
In a government response tabled in Parliament to the Finance and Expenditure Committee’s report on the Financial Statement’s of the T.A.B for the Financial Years 2011 and 2012, Tuilaepa, as the Minister responsible for the T.A.B., said he does not accept recommendations one, two and three.
The Committee’s Chairperson is Papali’itele Niko Lee Hang.
“Because the Totalisator Agency Board has actioned these recommendations and is continuing to do so,” the Prime Minister offered up as a reason for his rejection.
He did, however, agree to recommendation four made by the Committee.
“I accept recommendation four and this is now being considered by the Totalisator Agency Board in their plans.”
In its report, the F.E.C. made the following recommendations to Parliament.
“The Betting (Totalisator) Agency Board must make it a priority to establish a law that will incorporate both the Gaming Act 1978 and the Totalisator Agency Board Act 1990,” the Committee’s report reads.
“The Committee recognises the importance of having just one legislation that guides betting activities in Samoa and other relevant activities.
“Management and Betting (Totalisator) Agency Board must establish policies and guidelines for the allocation of financial assistance to sports and other organisations as well as the donations to the country as a whole such as educational programs and assisting health operations of Samoan citizens overseas.
“The Management and Betting (Totalisator) Agency Board must prioritise financial assistance to sporting organisations for that is the main focus of the Board since its establishment. “Management and Betting (Totalisator) Agency Board for betting must seek out other avenues of sources of income for the organization to increase its budget so as to improve and develop the sporting organization in Samoa which is its main focus.”
The F.E.C. made these recommendations because during the course of their investigations they discovered the TAB was operating outside of the very reason it was set up in the first place – to financially support sporting organisations.
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“One of the reasons, government established the Betting (Totalisator) Agency Board was to allocate financial assistance to sports organisations and societies in Samoa,” the F.E.C. reports.
“Sources of financial assistance for the Board are from betting organisations within Samoa and betting organisations outside of Samoa such as the Australian Sportslotto (T.M.S. Global) which was in partnership with the Samoan government in 2005 and continues to today.”
However, through the course of its investigations the Committee recognised from the statements given in the examined annual reports, that the management and board has extended its charitable hand to other organisations that are not categorised under sports neither are they schools.
“Some of these donations included financial assistance of approximately $4,735 to purchase a computer for the Little sisters of the poor: Home for the aged (Mapuifagalele); $3,900 was donated to the Health in the financial year 2010/2011,” according to the report.
“For the financial year of 2011/2012, the Board donated $1,130 to an Art Office in Samoa and other donations to religious organisations and individual citizens.
“(The) Committee questioned the specifics of provision of donations to individual citizens as mentioned in its annual report.
“This was further clarified. Committee has now recognised that for the financial year 2011/2012, approximately $29,308 was allocated by the Betting Board to assist the National University scholarship program.
“In addition to that, the Betting Board was able to assist two National University students in paying their school fees for the first quarter. Approximately $1,175 was allocated to each student.”
The Committee noted that aside from such assistance mentioned, the management and Board of Directors donated $16,400 in the financial year 2011/2012 to pay for school fees for Samoan students living abroad.
“(The) Committee questioned this, and suggested that those living abroad and students in Samoa should be given at least equal opportunity to donations provided by the Betting board,” the F.E.C. reported.
“According to reports, the Betting (Totalisator) agency board has also allocated funds to pay for flights of those patients taken overseas for further operation.
“For the financial year 2010/2011 approximately $3,128 was allocated for this purpose.
“This continued into the financial year 2011/2012, where the Board assisted seven patients which amounted to $12,221.00 for the payments of their visa and flight fares.”
Furthermore, the Committee reported that in terms of, in terms of revenue for the Board which mainly comes from betting, one of the difficulties faced by the Board for the years examined and continues today is the competition it has with other betting businesses in the country, especially bonus businesses.
“According to the board, some of these bonus business do not follow the given foundations and provisions stated under the law,” the F.E.C. reports.
“However, the Ministry of Police have the responsibility to grant licenses to betting businesses and this is the main reason as to why they operate at this time.
“In addition to this, the Board stated, under the Gaming Act 1978 that guides all betting businesses in Samoa, it is prohibited for an individual to operate a betting business unless it is a fundraising for religious purpose or for the purpose of charity work.”
In addition to Papali’itele, Tafua Maluelue Tafua served as the Committee’s Deputy Chairperson, and Palusalue Faapo II, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi, Tialavea Pea Tionisio Seigafolava, Afualo Dr. Wood Salele and Taefu Lemi served as Members. The Prime Minsiter’s response and the F.E.C. Committee’s report will be published in full tomorrow.