PHILIPSBURG:--- Government recorded Cg 9.9 million in casino and lottery fee revenue in 2021, but collected only Cg 3.2 million in cash that year, according to the Minister of Finance’s written answers on the draft 2027 budget.
The Cg 6.7 million difference illustrates a fundamental problem for a Treasury facing tight liquidity: revenue recorded in the government’s accounts does not automatically become money available to pay bills.
The minister uses the figures to explain accrual accounting. Fees are recognized as revenue when invoiced, while collecting those outstanding amounts later improves cash resources without creating new revenue for the later year.
The accounting distinction is valid. It also exposes the importance of collecting what government has billed.
The figures mean approximately one-third of the revenue recorded for that category in 2021 was collected in cash during that year.
They do not establish that the entire Cg 6.7 million difference remains outstanding today. The answers do not provide a reconciliation showing subsequent collections, adjustments, or the remaining balance from that year.
That missing update is central to assessing collection performance.
When asked whether the casino and lottery fee collection backlog had been cleared, the minister repeated that approximately Cg 10 million in revenue is projected for 2027.
A revenue projection does not answer whether the backlog has been resolved.
Parliament still needs an updated account of outstanding fees, their age, amounts recovered, and the steps being taken to collect legally enforceable balances.
The same distinction appears in the minister’s explanation of business-license revenue, which is projected to rise from Cg 7 million to Cg 12 million.
According to the answers, that increase reflects improved information about invoiced amounts and the use of accrual-based projections. It does not necessarily mean businesses will suddenly pay substantially more cash.
That makes collection performance essential to judging the budget's strength.
Government expects to finish 2027 with approximately Cg 2 million in free liquidity. In that environment, turning valid receivables into cash is a direct financial priority.
The minister is right that collecting previously recognized revenue does not create new revenue. But that explanation doesn't answer whether the money has actually been recovered.
For Parliament and the public, the question remains straightforward: how much is still collectible, and what is government doing to collect it?
