Government revisits funds policy

By James BakamaGOVERNMENT could soon boost its funding towards sports to salvage Uganda’s plunging standards.Priorities will be on financing national teams, hiring of a foreign football national coach and youth development. Government’s interest was revealed by presidency minister Gilbert Bukenya to soccer administrators yesterday. “I will take up the matter with the respective authorities,” said Bukenya while responding to a submission by club officials on problems affecting the sport.“Why should someone without money carry a national flag,” wondered Bukenya after being told that national teams have for the past decade not been funded by government.Other problems presented included high charges for Namboole stadium and a stinging Value Added Tax (VAT).The meeting featuring clubs and FUFA officials was aimed at finding ways of how government can help sports.Visibly tense FUFA officials got to the cabinet library expecting a grilling. They were however relieved when Bukenya expressed sympathy towards their financial problems.FUFA boss Dennis Obua explained expenditure of the annual $250,000 (sh380m) FIFA grant. He said the money was inadequate for a three-year 38 international match programme. Bukenya however asked FUFA for accountability and good governance if government’s goodwill was to be won.FUFA’s relief was however short-lived as Obua came under a scathing attack from sports minister Henry Okello over the sacking of technical director Guenter Zittel. Obua had claimed that Zittel was not sacked, but relieved of the Meridian project powers.Okello asked FUFA to fine-tune their demands representative of stakeholders.