Millions of dollars in prizes from the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) have not been claimed by winners.
Executives of the NLCB appeared before a Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Wednesday.
It was also revealed that the NLCB has outstanding debts from their agents as far back as 1997.
Members of the Public Accounts Committee questioned executives on the time frame for classifying outstanding payments as bad debts and the procedures involved.
Finance Lead Consultant at the NLCB, Wendy Dwarika, responded by saying the final decision rests with the Minister of Finance.
“We have not written off any of the bad debts, so the debt actually dates back to 1997. Any write-off has to be approved by the Minister of Finance.”
Questions by PAC Member Hazel Thompson-Ahye on whether these agents are still working with the NLCB to date were raised.
“All of the bad debt, all of you, those machines have been suppressed so they’re not able to sell so, they’re actually not. They’re not working with the NLCB in that respect.”
The Committee also enquired about unclaimed lottery prizes, with officials disclosing that significant sums remain uncollected annually.
In 2013, unclaimed prizes amounted to approximately $150 million, with similar figures reported in subsequent years. Notably, a $14 million jackpot from Gasparillo remained unclaimed from six months ago.
“So we make a provision for it until the person, the winner, comes in, redeems the ticket, and so that provision is then reversed. You have six months to redeem the ticket or the prize, and if you don’t, then the money is remitted to the Treasury. You have to go to the Treasury to get approval to return to the NLCB for us to make that payment.”
The discussion also highlighted the NLCB’s struggles in hiring and retaining an Internal Audit Manager since September 2023. Human Resources Manager Margaret Joseph said uncompetitive salaries are one of the key obstacles, and despite advertising regionally via Caribbean Jobs, the organisation has not successfully filled the position.
Reviewing the compensation was suggested by Ms. Thompson-Ahye: “But this is the organisation that has been giving away a lot of money, you know, to various people. I mean, you’re quite generous in terms of what you’ve given to the members of the public. Don’t you think you should be as generous with your employees to attract the best that you can, to perform the work that you have to do to the benefit of society?”
Committee members suggested broader advertising strategies, including local media, to attract potential candidates.