Panamanian casinos will have to pay more taxes

“We estimate that the bond will be of us$ 50 million a year, but the Ministry of Social Development (Mides) is still defining the eligible persons. And what we are going to do with the casinos is eliminate the homologation that Torrijos administration performed and return to the taxes previous to the homologation”, said vice-minister of Economy, Frank De Lima.

This revision of the homologations will be performed with all the concessions the state has. The increment of the salary of policement, another promise of President Ricardo Martinelli, will cost us$ 32 million to the state per year and will be paid, in part, with a 20% cut of the budget of the Assembly.

“We wil also revise the expenses of the performance of the state, that increased in more than a billion in the latest five years. We will cut the expenses and it will also help to keep the promises”, added the officer.

Association of Games of Chance Administrators (Asaja) did not receive the tax increment with joy, which, due to the economic crisis, will coincide with a decrease of its incomes, but said it is “willing to collaborate.”

“We have demanded a meeting with the new authorities to talk about this and other issues, but it is important to remark that the sector is already paying us$ 35 million in taxes , so the government receives more than the operators, and I don’t know where will they obtain those us$ 50 million,” said the President of Asaja, Antonio Alfaro.