The Flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, over the weekend launched his manifesto for the 2024 elections, dubbed ‘Bold Solutions.’
As the title of the manifesto suggests, it offers bold solutions to current problems in different sectors by the government of Dr. Bawumia from January 2025, in his quest to transform the country.
In the sports sector, Bawumia identified 10 problems currently facing the sports sector, including funding, poor development, and high taxes, among others, to which his manifesto has provided bold solutions to.
Below are 10 sports problems and 10 proposed solutions by Dr. Bawumia under his Presidency:
1. PROBLEM: inadequate funding for sports
SOLUTION: a statutory sports development fund to ensure sustainable funding.
2. PROBLEM: lack of corporate support and investment in sports
SOLUTION: provide tax incentives to corporate institutions to woo them to invest in sports.
3. PROBLEM: high taxes on football clubs and sports entities such as VAT.
SOLUTION: a lower flat tax rate to football clubs and sports entities.
4. PROBLEM: Salary burden on Premier League clubs.
SOLUTION: support the payment of players’ salaries through policy direction with the NLA and the Gaming Commission, as Bawumia Government’s direct support to the Ghana Premier League, clubs and players.
5. PROBLEM: Unreliable transportation issues for Premier League Clubs
SOLUTION: Provide Premier League clubs with a bus each, as a form of direct support to clubs.
6. PROBLEM: Poor grassroots sports development.
SOLUTION: establish the Ghana School Sports Secretariat, with dedicated funding, to ensure effective and school-based grassroots sports development, in collaboration with the GES and Sports federations.
7. PROBLEM: poor preparations towards the Olympic Games
SOLUTION: initiate the Operation Olympic Games Glory programme in 2025 to prepare Ghanaian athletes for the 2028 Olympics, with a special focus on some disciplines in Ghana that have a competitive advantage.
8. PROBLEM: lack of development in emerging or alien sports in Ghana
SOLUTION: Collaborate with international sports bodies like the NFL and NBA to develop and promote these sports in Ghana, just as Bawumia is already doing with the NFL.
9. PROBLEM: inadequate sports infrastructure
SOLUTION: continue the expansion of sports infrastructure by the Akufo-Addo government, by completing unfinished projects, construct a standard stadium in Sunyani and in each of the six new regions, as well as expand the astroturf projects to cover constituencies without astro turfs.
10. PROBLEM: poor maintenance of sports facilities
SOLUTION: institute an effective maintenance module to ensure that national, regional and community sports facilities are managed and maintained well.