Focus on venues, facilities

SPORTS will get an increase in State funding next year according to figures put out in the 2019 Budget with a special focus on infrastructure development.
The national budget delivered yesterday by the Government on the theme “Building a Broader-based Economy” has allocated K30.1 million an increase of K12.35m from last year’s allocation of K17.75m.
The funding goes to the State sports body, the PNG Sports Foundation, with infrastructural development taking up K13m under the sports infrastructure programme (K8m) and venue upgrading and foreign investments on sports facilities (K3m) and provincial sports infrastructure development programme (K2m).
The K8m allocation is expected to be used to upgrade venues in Lae, the country’s second largest urban centre while the Government’s commitment to building a standing in the Highlands region will see part of that funding go to a Goroka Stadium in the Eastern Highlands.
With the PNG Sports Foundation-run PNG Games set for 2020 in Southern Highlands the total projected allocation for sports in that year’s budget sees an increase to K36,765,400.
Of the 2020 total K19.4m is for infrastructural projects with the continuation of funding projects started next year to bear most of the expenditure.
The Sir Hubert Murray Stadium project which was allocated K10m last year will not receive any more funding with the National Capital District taking over the project this year.
The National Sports Institute (the main training and sports science centre for the Highlands and Momase region) which received K2m this year for infrastructure rehabilitation will not get any new funding next year.
The growth of sports throughout the country (PNG Games) coupled with the rise of PNG’s medal winning potential at regional and international events has seen money allocated to the High Performance Sports PNG, established prior to the 2015 Pacific Games, which gets K5m next year and increase of K3m from this year’s allocation.
Sports enhancement programme to the districts and provinces has been cut entirely from budget after K8.1m was allocated last year. The project was terminated due to lack of reporting last year and prior years.
The Sports For Development initiative gets a decrease in funding from the K6.1m enjoyed this year – it will receive only K2.1m in 2019. The project is wholly funded by the Australian government with a PNG component.
The Sports Foundation itself will use up K9.9m on annual expenditure next year. Among the costs are personnel emoluments (K6.3m for staff salaries and benefits), goods and services (K3.1m for administration and operational costs), utilities, rentals and property costs (K400,000), grants subsidies and transfers (K19,000) and capital formation (K83,000).
The foundation which is headquartered at the Sir John Guise Complex in Port Moresby, has a staffing of 94 of which 47 are permanent officers and 47 casual.
The foundation has an office in Lae and has the NSI under its purview. The foundation generates revenue from the use of its assets including the Taurama Aquatic Centre and Sir John Guise Stadium and other facilities its controls through its subsidiary the PNG Sports Trust Limited.
2019 Sports Budget Allocation — Programme Sporting and Recreational Services: Total – K30,111,000.
Programme Sports Administration, Operations and Support: K17,111,000 (PNG Sports Foundation Transfers K9,971,000; Sports For Development Initiative K2,140,000; High Performance Centre – K5,000,000)
Programme Sports: K13,000,000: Sports Infrastructure Programme K8,000,000; Venue Upgrading and Foreign Investments on Sports Facilities: K3,000,000; Provincial Sports Infrastructure Development Programme: K2,000,000.