Dr. Bawumia with his running mate, NAPO
The NPP Flag Bearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, at the weekend presented his manifesto for the 2024 elections, dubbed ‘Bold Solutions’.
As the title of the manifesto suggests, it offers bold solutions to current problems in various sectors from the government of Dr. Bawumia from January 2025, in his bid to transform the country.
On sports, Bawumia identified 10 problems currently facing the sports sector, including funding, poor development and high taxes, among others, to which his manifesto has given bold solutions.
Here are 10 sports problems and 10 suggested solutions from Dr. Bawumia under the Chairmanship of:
1. PROBLEM: insufficient funding for sport
SOLUTION: a statutory sports development fund to ensure sustainable funding.
2. PROBLEM: lack of corporate support and investment in sport
SOLUTION: providing tax incentives to corporate foundations to attract them to invest in sports.
3. PROBLEM: high taxes on football clubs and sports bodies such as VAT.
SOLUTION: lower flat rate of tax on football clubs and sports bodies.
4. PROBLEM: Wage burden at Premier League clubs.
SOLUTION: Support the payment of players’ wages through political guidance with the NLA and the Gaming Commission, as a direct support of the Bawumia government to the Ghana Premier League, clubs and players.
5. PROBLEM: Unreliable transfer issues for Premier League clubs
SOLUTION: Provide Premier League clubs with a bus each as a form of direct club support.
6. PROBLEM: Poor development of grassroots sports.
SOLUTION: establishment of the Ghana School Sports Secretariat, with dedicated funding, to ensure effective and school-based development of grassroots sports, in collaboration with GES and sports federations.
7. PROBLEM: poor preparation for the Olympics
SOLUTION: launch the Operation Olympic Games Glory program in 2025 to prepare Ghanaian athletes for the 2028 Olympics, with a special focus on certain disciplines in Ghana that have a competitive advantage.
8. PROBLEM: lack of development in emerging or alien sports in Ghana
SOLUTION: Partner with international sports bodies like the NFL and NBA to develop and promote these sports in Ghana like Bawumia is already doing with the NFL.
9. PROBLEM: insufficient sports infrastructure
SOLUTION: Continue the Akufo-Addo government’s expansion of sports infrastructure by completing unfinished projects, building a standard stadium in Sunyani and in each of the six new districts, and expanding astroturf projects to cover constituencies without astroturf.
10. PROBLEM: poor maintenance of sports facilities
SOLUTION: establish an effective maintenance unit to ensure that national, regional and community sports facilities are properly managed and maintained.
