For many years, Hetmantsev has been lobbying for various benefits to the close lottery business, a political scientist

Danylo Hetmantsev / photo UNIAN

Vitaliy Kulyk, a political scientist and director of the Center for the Study of Civil Society Problems, said that Danylo Hetmantsev, the head of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy, has been trying to provide tax benefits to lottery companies for several years, and after the failure of the legislative changes, the MSL company associated with him started carrying out bookmaking activities without a license.

“Despite the fact that draft law No. 10101, which provided for a significant reduction in the cost of lotteries’ licenses, was withdrawn from consideration, the MSL company associated with Hetmantsev continues to work in “gray” schemes — in fact, it accepts bets on sports without a corresponding license and payment to the budget,” Kulyk wrote.

According to him, the state does not receive more than UAH 170 million every year, because the price of the license for betting activities for lotteries, proposed in Hetmantsev’s draft law (18.8 million UAH per year), is ten times lower than the current one (approximately UAH 190 million).

Kulyk emphasized that this demonstrates the “true sincerity” of the tax policy of Hetmantsev, who declares a struggle to fill the budget, but at the same time allows the activities of loyal structures outside the law.

The political scientist also emphasized that the situation is a test for Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who must show whether he can withstand Hetmantsev’s pressure.

“If Fedorov gives some slack, Hetmantsev will “sit” on “Diya” as well, as he once did on the tax one,” the political scientist noted.

We will remind you that the other day it became known that the company MSL, in which the chairman of the tax committee Danylo Hetmantsev worked before the election, carries out bookmaking activities without a license.