Call to channel gaming taxes to sports devt
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Tennis Association president Johnson Koh yesterday urged the government to channel funds from gaming taxes to help boost the development of sports in the state.
“The gaming tax imposed on all official gambling in Sabah has been implemented for many years, but the impact on sports cannot be felt.
“I would like to suggest to the state government through the new Youth and Sports Minister to consider reserving the imposed 15 per cent tax on gaming for sports development,” he said in a statement issued yesterday.
Koh said if the Sabah state government was happy to continue with the tax, then it would be good to reserve it for sports development.
“This tax is a gaming tax, so it should be reserved for sport.
“But if it should be abolished as suggested by gaming operators, then Sabah punters will pay the same value as those in the peninsula. Otherwise, I think the revenue collected should be channelled for the development of sports,” he said.
For the record, sports associations registered with the Sabah Sports Council receives annual grants based on their activities.
There are close to 50 such sports associations with each receiving grants ranging from RM10,000 to RM100,000 annually.
These grants cover only a small amount of the expenditure incurred and associations are encouraged to come up with their own ways to fund their yearly development programmes and activities.