By Deogratias Mmana:
The sports fraternity is keeping fingers crossed after Minister of Finance Simplex Chithyola Banda tentatively allocated K7.7 billion to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the 2024- 25 national budget, Times Sport has learnt.
Initially, Ministry of Youth and Sports was set to be allocated K4.7 billion before Parliament convened on Friday.
Last year, the ministry was allocated K3.3 billion for the financial year.
However, after lobbying, there is a glimmer of hope after Chithyola Banda presented to Parliament a national budget of K5.98 trillion, with a deficit of K1.43 trillion.
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According to the budget, Ministry of Youth and Sports’ budget has been hiked to K7.7 billion from the proposed K4.7 billion.
However, Ministry of Sports spokesperson Macmillan Mwale, while confirming the proposed budget hike, said the actual figure will be passed in Parliament.
“It is true that the final indicative budget ceilings for the financial year 2024- 25 peg the ministry’s budget at K7.7 billion.
“However, this is subject to confirmation upon the passing of the budget in Parliament,” Mwale said.
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According to the budget, construction of Zingwangwa and Soche stadia has been pegged at K1.8 billion whereas the completion of Griffin Saenda Sports Complex is put at K1.5 billion.
The operations budget for the indoor facility is at K90 million.
Completion of construction of the National Aquatic Centre is budgeted at K500 million while an additional K70 million will cater for the facility’s operations.
Sports and creative arts, including Kamuzu Stadium maintenance, have been budgeted at K250 million.
Government has also allocated K100 million to Bingu National Stadium for its operations.
Sports analyst George Kaudza Masina told our sister paper, The Sunday Times, that revising the budget upwards was essential.
“This is what the sports fraternity was anticipating and we are grateful for the consideration. In the first place, a lot has happened in the financial sector since the last budget, which has led to rising costs and new programmes coming in. It was just necessary to adjust the budget upwards.
“Suffice to say that any adjustment will never be enough but government has done its part and has to be applauded and it is now time for the corporate world to reciprocate,” Masina was quoted as saying.
