Govt cuts sports fund

Oct 12, 2001

UGANDAN sports is headed for leaner times following yet another drop in National Council of Sports’ (NCS) funding.

By James Bakama UGANDAN sports is headed for leaner times following yet another drop in National Council of Sports’ (NCS) funding. Government has this financial year committed sh 398m to NCS, which according to NCS general secretary Abbey Lutaya, is 10% of what council requires to perform effectively. “This is peanuts,” said Lutaya of the government releases that have steadily dwindled over the past decade. Government in the 1995-6 financial year gave NCS sh805m . The figure fell to sh735 in the next dispatch before being further sliced to sh519m in the 1997-8 release. This was followed by a sh 39m drop. NCS got sh 414m for the 1999-00 period before being surprised by a sh 94m increase on the next vote. Lutaya says 1992 was one of their worst times. They spent the whole year without a single cheque of subvention including salaries and wages. A 1997 parliamentary decision that would have rescued NCS financial plight with benefits from proceeds of the 2% withholding tax (sh 1.02bn benefit) has never materialised. The inadequacy has left NCS, a parastatal supposed to develop and promote amateur sports in the country, incapacitated. Sports’ position in government is highlighted by lack of a department of sports in the education and sports ministry. All sports has in the ministry is a desk. The state minister for sports not only lacks a ministerial structure to head, but also a vote. In a bid to supplement it’s meager budgetary provision, NCS in the last financial year collected sh 75m from financial initiatives like hiring of the Lugogo hall and hostel. ends

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