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Finance state minister Henry Musasizi has promised to release the money for the National Council of Sports (NCS) for the first and second quarters within the first week of October.

Musasizi told Parliament, chaired by Speaker Anita Among, that NCS’ budget of sh10.3b which was not released during the first quarter, will be released together with the budget for the second quarter, which is expected in the first week of October.

“It is true that in the first quarter, we did not release all the money for NCS, but I assure you that the balance will be released together with the money for the second quarter without fail,” he said.

Musasizi admitted that out of the sh15b budget for NCS for the first quarter, the finance ministry released only sh4.3b.

Commitment

However, Among wondered whether Musasizi was surely going to release the sh10b balance of the first quarter together with the budget for the 2second quarter of about sh15b ago.

Musasizi responded: “ What I can assure you is that as much as possible, all the budget for sports shall be released, but the challenge I have now is the cash flow, but the commitment to release it is there".

Musasizi’s comments came after MPs complained that although Parliament allocates enough money to NCS, the finance ministry does not release it.

“ As Parliament, we appropriated money for sports, but the ministry of finance does not release it all. The country only comes out to celebrate the achievements of the sportsmen and women but does talk about the inadequate funding to the sector. Can the Prime Minister explain what happens,” MP Solomon Siliwany said.

MP Asuman Basalirwa, however, said although NCS is given money, there’s a lot of financial mismanagement by the sports organisations.

“The Public Accounts Committee has been investigating a lot of maladministration and financial management as a matter of fact, they receive money, but it never reaches the sportsmen and women,” Basalirwa said.

However, Among insisted that the money never reaches the institutions on time and it is never enough.