The Ministry of Sport Saturday highlighted the T&T Football Association (TTFA) in a renewed call to all sporting national governing bodies (NGB) to “provide audited financials” for Government funding from itself and the Sports Company of T&T (SporTT), “if they wish to continue receiving support from the Government purse.”
The statement was made in an e-mailed media release: “Accountability a prerequisite for funding”. It comes just weeks after the Ministry of Sport announced in a separate media release that it had commissioned an independent financial and procedural audit into the operations of the T&T Boxing Board of Control.
According to the release: “Senator the Honourable Brent Sancho, Minister of Sport continues to press for full accountability and proper monitoring across all areas of the sporting landscape. He has urged all of the National Governing Bodies of Sport who receive funding from the Ministry of Sport and the SporTT to put their accounts in order if they wish to continue receiving support from the Government purse.
“His latest call comes as the TTFA has been mandated to provide audited financials for the millions of dollars the organisation has received over the last few years via multiple subventions from the both state entities.”
The release acknowledged the nearly $10 million sum approved by Cabinet last November intended to clear some of the TTFA’s debts, particularly for salaries and arrears for national team staff and players on the men’s side. Over $3 million from the total figure was allocated for projected technical staff remuneration between November, 2014 up to this year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, and another sum of $3,878,888 for the senior men’s national team’s participation at the Gold Cup and a preceding training camp amounting.
However, the release noted: “Funding to the association has been halted temporarily while the ministry awaits the submission of the audited financials from the NGB (TTFA)…This is all part of the ministry’s mandate to ensure accountability and transparency in state funding and governance best practice. This approach is in keeping with the tenants and guidelines of the State Enterprises Performance Monitoring Manual are followed with strict adherence to statutory compliance and performance monitoring.”
On Thursday, during a post-Cabinet briefing, Sancho delved into the issue of the Ministry of Sport’s decision to halt funding to the TTFA, while he made the announcement of Government’s approval of just over $1.7 million to kickstart next month’s inaugural inaugural women’s professional league.
Sancho said that he and TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee met to discuss the matter, but noted that the TTFA president was in agreement, saying that he (Tim Kee) does not expect the TTFA to receive state funding until it provides the specific accounts. It is alleged that several national team staff members, including head coach Stephen Hart, have not been paid a salary since February.
Nevertheless, according to Sancho, match fees owed by the Ministry to senior team coaches for their duties at last year’s Caribbean Cup are expected to be cleared within two weeks.
And despite the suspension of state funding, Tim Kee recently announced the national men’s team schedule of two away friendly matches next month against Croatia and Jordan, as well as a training camp in Miami, just before they kick off their Gold Cup account. T&T may also play Haiti in Miami. Away matches are generally less costly than hosting a team. (Trinidad Guardian)
