Members of the Board in a group photograph with the Deputy Minister (middle) after the inauguration
DEPUTY MINISTER of Finance, Kwaku Kwarteng has inaugurated a new governing board for the National Lottery Authority (NLA).
The inauguration which took place on Friday in Accra came with a charge on the seven-member governing board by the deputy minister to put measures in place to maximize the revenue generation of the Authority.
Members of the Board which happens to be the third of its kind in the history of the NLA since it metamorphosed from the Department of National Lotteries on 29th December 2006 to Authority, include Director General of the NLA, Kofi Osei Ameyaw, Togbe Francis Albert Seth Nyonyo, Board Chairman, Joana Francise Adda, a government appointee and Marketing and Public Affairs Manager at Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority, Adelaide Anno-Kumi, Chief Director of the Ministry of Interior, Philip Kofi Aning, President Akufo-Addo’s nominee, and a representative from the Attorney General’s Department, among others.
According to him, over the years, the NLA has contributed immensely to national development beside positively changing the lives of many within and outside Ghana.
“With the coming into force of the National Lotto Act, 2006, Act 722 which established the NLA with the objective of raising revenue for the nation, past boards have implemented measures based on their policy direction to augment the revenue generated by NLA,” Mr. Kwarteng said.
He added that “I must say that there is a huge room for improvement if one critically evaluates our national development agenda and promises made to the citizens of our dear nation.”
In his acceptance remarks, Chairman of the Board who doubles as the representative of the Volta Region on the Council of State, Togbui Nyonyo, assured that his administration shall ensure that transparency was brought to bear in the operations and management of the NLA.
“By the adherence of the transparency policy, we shall increase the revenue generation and contribute our quota to the needed developmental goals of the country according to the Act,” he promised, adding that “we will ensure that the NLA realizes its full potential.”
He pointed out the need for members of the Board to learn the best practices from developed countries that have used the lottery industry to develop their countries.
BY Melvin Tarlue