Guyana Lottery taxes challenge

Political activist Desmond Trotman has filed a summons against Guyana’s Attorney General Charles Ramson regarding the non-payment of taxes from the country\'s national lottery into the administration\'s main bank account.



Mr. Trotman is claiming that monies from the lottery are public funds.



According to the BBC Caribbean, Guyana’s government collects the equivalent of more than US$1 million in license fees and other taxes from the privately run Guyana Lottery Company.



There have been widespread calls from many quarters including the Auditor General and opposition political parties for these funds to be paid into the government\'s main bank account, also called the Consolidated Fund.



However, over the years the Guyana government has placed these funds in a separate account and has used them without parliamentary approval.



Mr. Trotman says such a practice is illegal.