Ministry for Youth and Sports budget increases

The Government has taken the first step in increasing the budget for the Ministry for Youth and Sports this year.

When speaking at the opening of the National Sports Commission Annual Conference today, the Minister for Youth and Sports, Laisenia Tuitubou said 67% of the ministry’s total budget is set aside solely for sports development.

Tuitubou said this is a substantial amount which equates to a little over $11.2 million as announced during the 2015 budgetary allocation.

He said this commitment saw the increase in sports grants for 2015 along with an increased international coaching grant to ensure the improvement of all sporting fraternities on a large scale basis by securing international expertise to further boost the country’s sporting prowess.

He said the only way forward for sports in Fiji was to improve the partnership in the development of sports with our stakeholders through more investment in sports.

Fiji National Sports Commission Executive Chairman, Peter Mazey said the government had so far approved $4.8m for the National Sports Organization in the 2015 Sports Grants.

Mazey said out of $16m they requested, the government approved only $4.8m