AMERICA/PANAMA - Mgr. Aguilar: "The government must stop gambling because it impoverishes families"

Thursday, 1 October 2015 human rights   bishops   local churches  

Veraguas (Agenzia Fides) - The Bishop of Santiago de Veraguas (Panama), His Exc. Mgr. Audilio Aguilar Aguilar, has publicly asked the Panamanian government to intervene to stop the damage that casinos are causing to families in the poorest areas of the country.
This is what Mgr. Aguilar said during the celebration in honor of St. Michael the Archangel, patron of Atalaya, on September 29, lamenting the fact that "there are many people who go to these casinos and poverty increases in the villages".
The note sent to Fides from a local source indicates that the phenomenon does not affect only the province of Veraguas. Mgr. Aguilar pointed out that across the country there are countless casinos and many people spend the night gambling: "There are people who spend a lot of money for this, it is a sin that offends God, because what you gain should be used for what is needed in the house".
The most significant taxes regarding the economy of Panama, according to data collected by local publications, are from tobacco, petrol and gambling (lottery and casinos). Earlier this year the government had proposed to solve the problem of very low pensions with the increase of the tax on gambling. Although it is difficult to give exact figures, two years ago more than one source pointed out that the money received from gambling in a single year throughout Panama could pay the salaries of 40,000 school teachers for five years. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 01/10/2015)


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