'Premier kladionice' accuse Fuad Kasumović of trying to forcibly collect almost a million KM from them

The Constitutional Court of FBiH is soon to decide whether the Decision on municipal taxes in the area of the city of Zenica is in accordance with the Constitution of FBiH. With that Decision, adopted at the initiative of Mayor Fuad Kasumović at the end of 2016, municipal taxes for betting shops were increased to amounts of up to 50,000 KM annually per betting point. At the same time, municipal taxes for other activities and companies in the area of Zenica have not been increased or are much lower than for betting shops.

Gambling organizers say that Mayor Kasumović does not want to wait for the verdict of the Constitutional Court of FBiH, and they claim that, "on his instructions, the Zenica Tax Administration has started forcibly collecting municipal taxes from betting shops." Thus, they explain, "the Zenica Tax Administration informed the companies Premier World Sport d.o.o. and Premier Sport d.o.o. on May 4, 2017, that they would file a tax return on their behalf for amounts of 720,000 KM and 272,000 KM, i.e., a total of 992,000 KM for 2017.”

- Although the Constitutional Court of FBiH has yet to deliver a verdict on the constitutionality (or lack thereof) of the Decision on municipal taxes in Zenica, Fuad Kasumović wants to forcibly collect almost a million marks from us, say representatives of Premier kladionice, confirming that they have filed an Objection with the Zenica Tax Administration within the legal deadline, proposing that the procedure for reporting municipal tax be suspended.

They emphasize that the Decision on municipal taxes in Zenica is unconstitutional and discriminatory, as it is not in accordance with the provisions on equality before the law of the Constitution of FBiH, which guarantees equality for all. In the case of Zenica, they believe, betting shops are discriminated against compared to other activities. Only they pay an enormously high municipal tax amounting to 50,000 KM per betting point. They remind that the Constitutional Court of FBiH has declared decisions on municipal taxes unconstitutional in more than 100 cases, and in Zenica itself, three times already. The Constitutional Court, remind the gambling organizers, does not allow the type of activity to be a criterion for determining the amount of municipal taxes.

- Whatever verdict the Constitutional Court of FBiH delivers, I will pass a new Decision within seven days - Kasumović recently said when asked how he would act if the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the gambling organizers, writes NAP.