PHILIPSBURG--The mushrooming of lottery number sales booths across the country has the attention of National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament (MP) Ardwell Irion, who is questioning whether these booths have branch licences and building permits as well as properly documented workers.
Irion told The Daily Herald his enquiries to the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunication (TEATT) Licence and other departments have yielded no results or answers to his questions.
His concerns about proliferation of booths stem from the loss of revenue for government, worker’s rights and the shabby image of the country these makeshift huts create for residents and visitors.
“Every corner in neighbourhoods, we have these lottery booths operating,” Irion said, adding that these create a chaotic situation and “more ugliness” across the country.
A top concern is whether the booths are operating under a branch licence via their parent lottery company. Unlike other kinds of businesses, it appears that number booths are allowed a free hand, he said.
“I enquired by TEATT [about the branch licences – Ed.]. No one can give a clear answer,” Irion said. What was shared by the department, he said, is that once the company has the minister’s permission to open new booths, that is all that is needed.
He said he had been told that under the law in Curaçao, multiple booths are allowed. He questioned why a Curaçao law would have bearing on St. Maarten, when the two are completely different countries within the Dutch kingdom with different economic directives.
If no branch licence is needed, Irion said this is a very unfair situation for other businesses that must get a branch licence and pay the accompanying fees.
“I went to two departments and was told they were still doing research [on the subject]. … If you are still doing research, then stop until you have answers,” said Irion.
It is questionable whether building permits are acquired for the construction of booths. If no permit were sought or received, Irion questioned why the Ministry of Spatial Planning and Infrastructure VROMI has not taken action to halt further building and to remove existing booths from street corners.
There is also concern about the state of the workers in the booths. Irion wants government to find out and tell Parliament whether the workers have the necessary working papers, social benefits and are paying their fair share of taxes.
