Johannesburg – Casino tax rates in Gauteng are to be reviewed, Finance MEC Mandla Nkomfe said on Monday.
The Gauteng province charges a nine percent tax rate to casinos, making it the lowest casino tax rate in the country. The most populous and smallest province in the country has not reviewed this tax rate in 13 years.
“We are clear that we need to change the situation. Consequently the Gauteng Department of Finance, in collaboration with the Department of Economic Development, has started a process that will lead to the review of the casino tax rate in the province,” said Nkomfe.
The department was briefing media on the financial position of the province.
The Western Cape charges up to 17 percent in casino tax rates, which is the country’s highest rate. Other provinces charge between 12 and 15 percent.
“We’ll take a decision. Without doing that, our revenue will not improve,” said Nkomfe.
In the year to March 2011, the Gauteng Provincial Government generated R2.8 billion.
The department highlighted that demand for public services is growing in the province due to an ever-increasing population.
“As a result, this situation calls for intensive measures of revenue collection to be adopted,” said Nkomfe. – BuaNews
