Zona de Azar Paraguay – Paraguay: Conajzar will depend on the DNIT, headed by Óscar Orué

Paraguay.- October 17, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com The National Commission on Games of Chance (Conajzar) will not become an autonomous entity as initially planned. Instead, it will move from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) to be under the control of another regulatory institution.

The Minister of Economy and Finance, Carlos Fernández Valdovinos, announced yesterday the submission of a bill to Congress proposing that the National Commission on Games of Chance (Conajzar) be placed under another entity, which will allow for better oversight of games and increased revenue.

Fernández Valdovinos participated in the informational hearing of the Bicameral Budget Committee of Congress on Monday, where he provided details of the MEF’s spending plan for 2025 and answered questions regarding public debt. He also discussed the proposal to modify the National Commission on Games of Chance.

Conajzar was created by Law 1,016/1997 and is responsible for the planning, regulation, and supervision of games of chance, as well as the activities of individuals or entities involved in their operation.

Initially, there was a plan to reform the Conajzar law to turn it into a National Directorate of Games of Chance (Dinajzar), aiming to centralize the licensing process, granting autonomy in decision-making and financial independence.

Council to report to the DNIT

However, the Minister of Economy informed the bicameral legislators that they will submit a bill to Congress to transfer Conajzar under the authority of the National Directorate of Tax Revenue (DNIT).

Fernández Valdovinos explained the change, noting that there is much information that can be cross-referenced in the field of games of chance, which would result in increased revenue for the state.

He cited the success of the DNIT in using technology and data exchange, which has led to an increase in tax revenue.

“We believe that we will also see increased revenue in games of chance once we integrate Conajzar into the DNIT and enable this information exchange between customs, what was SET (Internal Revenue Service), and specifically Conajzar,” the minister explained.

Conajzar will now be under the DNIT, which is headed by Óscar Orué. The DNIT was created in August last year through the merger of the Sub-Secretariat of Taxation (SET), which was under the former Ministry of Finance (now MEF), and the National Directorate of Customs (DNA), which reports directly to the Presidency of the Republic.

Minister Fernández Valdovinos did not provide further details on the bill, nor did he comment on whether the council would be maintained or if other amendments to Law 1,016/1997, which establishes the legal framework for the operation of games of chance, would be included.

Edited by: @_fonta
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