The spokesperson of the Normalisation Committee, Dan Kwaku Yeboah has disclosed that the budget for this year’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the smallest ever in the history of the country.

“In recent times, this is the smallest budget we have taken to AFCON”, he defended on Accra-based Peace Fm monitored by MyNewsGh.com.

Though he admits it looks huge based on the circumstances the country finds itself, he justified the expenditure explaining that much of the amount was spent in their pre-camping training in Dubai.

“If you look at the budget people are making simple mathematics. The team camped in Dubai for three weeks and if anyone sees internal transport he will say CAF was supposed to provide a bus but in Dubai, we went for training morning and evening and the cost was supposed to be borne by the state”, he revealed.

He added “In as much as I agree it is the taxpayers’ money and everybody deserves the right to talk about it because it is huge, we should be realistic”

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Kwame Asiamah told Parliament on Wednesday that the state spent $4,564,532.00 during the competition.

He said the expenditure covered the playing body, the technical team, Members of the Parliament Select Committee on Youth and Sports and Culture and the Ghana League Clubs Association.

The remaining beneficiaries are the representatives of the Old Footballers Association, some staff of the Ghana Football Association, some staff of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, some members of the Ghana Supporters Union and journalists.