FAM warns on relief funds
FAM has warned its stakeholders, including elite clubs that they will only access the K5 million second chunk of the Covid-19 relief package after reconciling the initial installment.
Fifa, through Football Association of Malawi (FAM), pledged $1 million (about K770 million) for men’s clubs and $500 000 (about K385 million) for women’s clubs to cushion them from the financial impact of Covid-19.
The world football governing body already released $500 000 for men’s clubs while the remainder, including women’s share, is expected to be sent next month.
The funding saw FAM allocating TNM Super League clubs K10 million each from which they got half the amount as the first chunk.
The association’s competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka yesterday said: “The clubs submitted plans on how they would use the first chunk and now they will be required to come up with reconciled statements to access the second instalment.
“After that, we will consolidate the reconciliations and send them to Fifa for their perusal and consideration for the second chunk. There will be no shortcuts.”
He said deadline for the clubs to submit the reconciliations is January 20.
“So, we hope they are processing that as was stated in the forms that were distributed to them.
“In fact, it does not only apply to the clubs, but all the beneficiaries,” said Zakazaka.
Some of the clubs that The Nation interviewed yesterday said they are on track.
Said Karonga United general secretary (GS) Ramsey Simwaka: “We are keeping the records and we have used the money in accordance with the plan which we submitted to FAM.
“We will submit our reconciliations by the end of the month.”
Ntopwa FC owner Isaac Jomo Osman also said they are on track.
“We are doing the needful and hopefully by the cutoff point, we should have submitted our documents.”
On his part, Civo United GS Ronald Chiwaula said: “As Civo we are yet to do the reconciliation because we haven’t spent all the money.
“You might wish to know that we received the funding late; hence, the late expenditure. We expect to [finish] spending the chunk in the coming week and prepare a reconciled statement. We cannot just project as reconciliation means real expenditures.”
His Be Forward Wanderers counterpart Victor Maunde said: “We have done ours and we’ll be submitting to FAM today [yesterday].”
Nyasa Big Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga said they will submit their reconciled statement next month, “according to the instructions given by FAM”.
Silver Strikers chief executive officer Thoko Chimbali said: “We are ready to submit the reports.”
Football Players Association of Malawi chairperson Jimmy Zakazaka said they are reconciling their expenditure.
