The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) staged a Finance Governance Workshop on Sunday at the Guyana Olympic House in Liliendaal, which focused on the compliance requirements and procedures for attaining funding through the Members Financial Assistance Programme (M-FAP) in 2024.
This was disclosed in a release from the federation. According to the correspondence, the forum was facilitated by FIFA consultant Lance Cummings and GFF accountant Marco Meredith.
Present at the workshop were representatives from the Bartica Football Association, Berbice Football Association, East Coast Football Association, Essequibo/Pomeroon Football Association, Georgetown Football Association, Upper Demerara Football Association, and the Women’s Football Association, as well as Elite League clubs the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, Fruta Conquerors, Den Amstel, Buxton United, and Santos.
“Discussions focused on the criteria for securing funding, including the completion of the club licencing process and the maintenance of current financial records, along with the GFF budgetary plans for 2024,” the release stated.
GFF President Wayne Forde said, “The introduction of M-FAP is to aid clubs and associations in achieving their developmental goals, with the ultimate aim of nurturing widespread growth.
Therefore, it is imperative that all levels adhere to compliance standards for the genuine professionalisation of football in Guyana.”
The M-FAP programme, which is an adaptation of the initial FIFA FAP initiative, was created in 2020 and focused on the four essential areas of administration and operations, equipment and materials, competition and technical development, and infrastructure development.
Meanwhile, FIFA Consultant Cummings stated that it’s vital for individuals to be a part of the federation’s budgetary process, noting, “It’s not like the Federation is preparing a document to submit for approval to Congress, but it’s really getting Congress involved more at this level.”
GFF Accountant Meredith noted that “in the past three years, the GFF has distributed millions of dollars in equipment to associations and clubs, along with preparatory grants for the initiation of regional senior leagues throughout Guyana.”
