Sporting Groups Paralyzed – No Budget Allotment in Sight

A New Dawn investigation has unearthed that the National Sporting Federations and Associations here are yet to receive their budgetary allotments for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. The groups said this is impeding their operation and development of sports in the country.

An amount of US$1, 932, 795 was allotted in the current budget and was passed in to law by the National Legislature between July and August of last year.

This paper also gathers that since the passage of the budget, the federations and associations placed under the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS), are yet to receive a cent as the budget year gradually draws to an end on June 30 this year-meaning all the programs which were budgeted for are yet to be implemented in the absence of these disbursements.

When contacted on the issue, Mr. Murvee Gray, Assistant Minister for Sports at the MYS cleverly turned the page by shifting blames on the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

According to Minister Gray, the MOF has insisted to the MYS that its income generating arm is low; something, which he said give rise to the delays in disbursing funds to the associations and federations.

“They have told us (MYS), we (MOF) can’t get money disbursed until certain levels,” Mr. Gray said without stating the level.

He also said; “we (MYS) have been telling the administrators of these programs that their funds are not yet out, and until it is out, the MYS can do nothing, since she (MYS) doesn’t approve budget,” Gray said.

Assistant Minister Gray later said sports development is something that is growing, reconciling and unifying the country regardless of tribes and background, “with that; why must the MYS stand in its (Sports) way from being achieved” he stated.

The Minister also said all national teams are owned by the government, “…the government has always been there for the development of sports, allotting funds for transports on travels, perdiems, and other means of support,” he said.

However, when contacted, an official at the Ministry of Finance who declined to be named said the MOF is in no way suppressing the functions and duties of MYS.

The official said the MOF is not clothed with the responsibility to hold any Ministry’s budget, rather he said it is the MYS responsibility to liaise with the Bureau of the Budget to work on their submitted budget to that bureau.

The Official said:  “the MOF can in no way hold the budget of the MYS or any other Ministry, otherwise it would be held in contempt by the Legislature since the budget spoken about is now a law.”