K7.6bn sports budget passes
Parliament has passed the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ 2024/25 budget of K7 697 559 135, which is double last year’s allocation.
A statement from Parliament said Ministry of Youth and Sports’ Vote 180, which last financial year was allocated K3.3 billion, is among 15 others passed on Monday during the committee of supply.
The statement reads: “Parliament yesterday [Monday] entered the Committee of Supply where it passed 15 budgetary allocations for government ministries, departments and agencies.”
The development is a relief to the sports sector which was initially asked to budget its activities within K4.7 billion, but saw the amount revised upward to K7.6 billion when Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Simplex Chithyola Banda presented the proposed K5.98 trillion National Budget on February 23.
In an interview yesterday, Ministry of Youth and Sports director of sports Jameson Ndalama said they were satisfied with the increment.
He said: “It is good news because this is what we expected.”
Ndalama, however, said they will wait for the ministry’s planning department for details.
“We need to look at what has been actually allocated to the various activities after debates in Parliament,” he said.
But according to budget documents we have seen, Zingwangwa and Soche stadia have been allocated K1.8 billion.
The completion of Griffin Saenda Sports Complex is pegged at K1.5 billion with the operations budget for the facility at K90 million.
The National Aquatic Centre budget is at K500 million while an additional K70 million will go to facility’s operations.
Kamuzu Stadium maintenance is at K250 million while Bingu National Stadium has been allocated K100 million.
Sports analyst Charles Nyirenda commended government for increasing the ministry’s allocation.
He said: “This is indeed sweet news. 100 percent increment is not a joke in these hard economic times.”
