Ministry of Youth and Sports budget approved

Parliament on Tuesday approved 36,134,116.00 Ghana cedis for the Ministry of Youth and Sports and 141,062,137.00 Ghana cedis for the Electoral Commission to implement programmes for the year ending 31 December 2014.

The amount is made up of a Government of Ghana component of 35,685, 666.00 Ghana cedis and an internally generated fund of 448,450.00 Ghana cedis.

Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the Minister for Youth and Sports who moved the motion, said Black Stars would participate in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the Black Queens would participate in the 2014 Africa Women qualifiers and championships.

The local Black Stars would participate in the African nation’s champion in South Africa, National female U-17 football team; the Black Maidens wouldl participate in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Tournament to be staged in Costa Rica.

He said Ghana would participate in 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

A report by the Committee of Youth Sports showed that though Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) was under the Ministry no allocation was made to the Agency in the 2014 annual estimates for the Ministry.

The report said a scheme of service for GYEEDA had been developed and approved by the Public Services Commission, adding that persons who had served two years or more on GYEEDA have been exited and arrears owed them paid.

The Electoral Commission will also pursue among other things re-demarcation of electoral areas and unit committee boundaries, expand the biometric voter register to include persons who qualify to be registered.