MV: What is Cornazar's bet for this year-end?
Elizabeth Maya: Cornazar's bet is to bet on legality, transparency, present a bill of responsible gaming which was worked with the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana and with many of the entrepreneurs in the sector. This responsible gaming project has already been evaluated by the board of directors under the three pillars of social, economic, social and environmental responsibility.
The next step is to present it to coljuegos to have a responsible gaming project, which will contribute to the sector in the face of professionalization and to improve the stigmatization of the sector. In addition to contributing economically to the industry, knowing the economic crisis that we are going through and we believe that there is a path to take with many alternatives, but with very clear objectives.
Also, as a board of directors we had a very important meeting to look at and analyze the VAT, from the hand of a national firm called Ochoa Asociados, who are preparing a concept against the analysis of the tax regulation, of those 20 UVT that has gone increasing. When we started with 5% due to the economic emergency with Doctor Uribe, after that we went up to 16% and finally last year we went back to 19% with a UVT that increases annually. Then we are looking for alternative solutions to face a guild responsibility that we have to defend these small and medium entrepreneurs who are totally asphyxiated with the tax and tax side.
In the issue corresponding to 12% we are also accompanied by specialist lawyers building a bill where we seek that both regimes do not go together because that only suffocates our guild, and even that several companies closed for it. Therefore, we invite the new president and the new regulator to stop along the way to sit down as strategic allies because I think that if we businessmen are doing well the state is doing well, we have to work together with a legal stability.
MV: What is your vision of what is happening today with the industry?
EM: We have an industry compared to a few years ago, totally innovative, full of expectations to grow, to strengthen, but also an industry with needs and many fears. The businessman increasingly sees the income per machine much lower, the average in Colombia does not favor us much and the level of investment is increasingly necessary and higher. Then the return affected more and more this entrepreneur, his need to grow because everyone wants to grow, innovate, seeking to supply the need of his player.
But we return to the same thing, we have to sit down on the table to discuss these issues that are so well argued and do not let the operation in Colombia grow day by day.
MV: What do you think about the work that the president of Coljuegos, Juan B. Pérez, has done? And what points were missing and should have been made?
EM: Mr. Juan B. came with a very big responsibility that was to continue with an online connection process, which hit the entrepreneurs a lot and had many difficulties and mistakes. Hence, we have so much trouble with all the requirements.
I think I try to do a lot, but as I say, the issue of coljuegos is very critical, because it was done a lot, but its same capacity does not give more, that 1% they have to manage the entity is complicated. You have to manage more, you have to do and accompany more.
MV: What is expected of the new administration of Coljuegos with the hand of Iván Duque?
EM: I expect an administration that feels at the table, and that entrepreneurs do not see us as a company that only has to pay the state for its concession. That sees us as strategic allies and work hand in hand by the sector to be strengthened, that this president understands the operation, live and feel the need that has the employer and listen.
The feeling and listening would be the most valid for me for this new president, I think that there should be a consensus between the union, the president and the businessmen. All united forming criteria, I also call on all the associations to work together as we all go to the same place, and sit on a transparent table and push towards the same
MV: what should the new president of Coljuegos focus on?
EM: The pillars so that this new person who arrives is the strongest and has a successful process, first of all fighting the illegality would generate much more legal and operational stability. Second legal security, we have a lot of regulations and resolutions, we must respect how we started until the end.
Finally, I think that the third aspect is that the sector has to support it and give it a hand in front of issues such as administrative procedures, Dr. Ivan Duque was very clear in his speech of possession when he said that we had to put an end to this process that we have in our country that is so slow and cumbersome. And I join these words, because we definitely have to bet on having agile procedures that do not affect even the manufacturers, suppliers or even the state or the employer because all this finally makes it difficult to operate.
I think that with these three pillars we would have total success
MV: Do you think that this new cabinet would be the opportunity for success, with the new economic proposal with which they come, for a slightly deeper approach between banking and the industry?
EM: We know that this industry has sadly been strongly stigmatized, that is why Cornazar decided to carry out a corporate social responsibility project since this will help us and support us immensely so that the real and financial sector see us in a different way.
With regard to the financial sector, I believe, and I say it by name as Cornazar, we have touched a lot the doors meeting with compliance officers of the financial sector, risk managers, Asobancaria and I think that not much has been achieved. For lack of disposition of them.
So while even in the state bank do not force us to accept and be like any other real sector, we will not be able to enjoy a bank, so I think that's where the finance minister comes who would be between quote our father to defend us and help us settle with public and private entities, to present an asset laundering control system that we fully comply with compliance officers, an action plan implemented with a code or manual of functions and risk segmentation.
For that reason I think that the bank has to calm down for that part, because we already fulfill the country and every day we grow more, these compliance officers every day are more specialized then we are ready to present it to the bank, to the country and that see that we do not have any illicit activity within our operation, that like all activities we present risks but that we can fulfill them.
So, the biggest tasks are now left to min. Of hacienda and the new president of coljuegos whoever it is so that they open the doors to us, so that we as guilds and businessmen can sell our sector as it is, a transparent, legal and calm sector.
MV: Thank you very much!
EM: No, thanks to you!
