Touching on the area of Sports in the 2018 budget statement and economic policy, the Former Youth and Sports ministerial lying step in the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and Member of Parliament for the Odododoodio Constituency, Hon. Nii Lantey Vanderpuye has stated that the 2018 Budget was totally silent on sports infrastructure, and this, he sees as a worrying trend.

Speaking on the floor during a debate on the 2018 Budget statement in the 1st Session of the 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana, Hon Vanderpuye said the dwindling fortunes of sports in the country is largely due to limited infrastructure, which his government did very well to invest in.

He said the time has come for the country to take sports to the next level, and he wondered why the 2018 budget which is supposed to be youth centered is rather silent on sports infrastructure needed to propel Ghana sports to the next level.

He indicated, that government’s supposed commitment to uplifting youth and sports in the country has been defeated by the slashing of the budget allocation for sports.

Reiterating that, the Winneba Sports Complex which was supposed to be converted into a Sports Center of Excellence has been put on hold by the 2018 budget, since nothing was said on it, neither an allocation was made for it.

On his part, Hon. Nana Marfo said, the budget is the best that has happened to Ghana in recent memory.

According to him, everything in the budget indicates that Ghana has been put back on track, after the mess it was put in during the tenure of the last NDC government. He said everyone talks about the budget in whichever way they deem fit, because Ghana is a Democratic state, the fact remains however that Ghana has been set in motion again by the 2018 budget according to him.

He said there has been very stiff opposition to almost every policy intervention initiated by the government, but the government has delivered to the dismay of detractors and doubters.

Story: Frederick E. Aggrey

 

Exclusively Newslinegh