Minister Krajina is obstructing the collection of 25 million KM from betting shops

The Federal Ministry of Finance, headed by HSP minister Ante Krajina, bears the greatest responsibility for the accumulated debt of 25 million KM that betting shops currently owe to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Tax Administration of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed to the BH News Agency Patria that the multi-million KM debt of betting shop owners to the FBiH has accumulated largely due to the slow resolution of appeals at the Federal Ministry of Finance.

The debt of betting shops to the state in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina alone exceeds 25 million KM as of October 31, 2014, according to official data from the Tax Administration of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Adisa Hamzić, spokesperson for the Tax Administration of the FBiH, explained to Patria that betting shop owners most often fail to pay contributions for pension and disability insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance for their employees.

By avoiding tax obligations, betting companies generate enormous profits, while simultaneously damaging the federal budget by multi-million amounts.

The largest debtors with outstanding contributions are Intersport d.o.o. Mostar and Derby Bet Shop d.o.o. Mostar. Also on the list are "REMI" Sports Betting Shops d.o.o. Tuzla and "DERBY BET SHOP" d.o.o., again from Mostar.

Another betting shop from Mostar, "INTERSPORT" d.o.o., was also on the list of largest debtors, but inspectors managed to enforce collection in that case.

- The greatest responsibility for the accumulation of debts for public revenue lies with legal entities organizing games of chance who have not complied with tax laws and have not paid their obligations - Hamzić told NAP.

- All of this was also influenced by the slow resolution of appeals by the second-instance body, i.e., the Federal Ministry of Finance - she added.

Hamzić states that the Tax Administration of the FBiH has undertaken and is undertaking all measures to collect the debt. However, in the process of resolving appeals from organizers of games of chance, the Ministry of Finance of the FBiH has returned the decisions of the Tax Administration of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for reconsideration multiple times, and due to the lengthy individual administrative proceedings, the Tax Administration has been prevented from collecting tax liabilities earlier.

Interestingly, the largest number of indebted betting shops come from Herzegovina, where Minister Krajina was also born 60 years ago, writes Patria.