FIFA satisfied with financial prudence of GFF
- Goal Project to come on stream this year
By Franklin Wilson
Kaieteur News
March 26, 2007
The Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) through its Development office has said that it is satisfied with the level of financial management by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) with regard to the FIFA Financial Assistance Programme (FAP).
This was disclosed to the GFF by Director of Development at FIFA, Mary Harvey when she met with the GFF's delegate to the 30th Caribbean Football Union Congress being held in Curacao , Netherlands Antilles , Vice President Franklin Wilson.
President, Colin Klass also attended the meeting which was held yesterday at the World Trade Centre.
The executive members also met with FIFA Development Manager with responsibility for the Americas , Serge Dumortier to discuss the Guyana Goal Project which is scheduled to come on stream this year.
Guyana was among one of the 30 countries affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union who met individually with Harvey and Christoph Suppiger who works in the Development Division of FIFA with responsibility for Programmes and Services.
Harvey, former national goal keeper of the United States female Football team, said she was very satisfied with the level of accountability of not only Guyana , but the other countries in the region.
The FIFA FAP programme which was introduced by President Joseph Sepp Blatter since 1999 sees each country affiliated to the World Governing Body receive US One Million each year for the development of the game in a general way, on and off the field.
Each association is required to submit to FIFA audited financial reports for the monies they receive, yearly.
Harvey said their involvement at this level is at the request of CFU President and FIFA Vice President Austin Jack Warner.
“We do this as a service not as a requirement to enable these members to have a review and also discuss on an interactive basis rather than through letters, questions that they have about financial management, their accounts and how they can get things done faster and quicker.”
Harvey said that this is important because the more efficient associations are, the more time they can spend with development on the field.
The FAP since coming into being has been very popular and successful since for many countries, it has brought new life to their existence. It has also enables countries to launch developmental programmes administratively and otherwise in developing the sport.
It is FIFA's view said Harvey that the progress made over the years since the introduction of FAP that the progress of many countries has been very quick and favorable. She recalled the growth by the countries in terms of their level of accounting for the FAP over the years.
“What we have found over time is that the countries have responded very, very positively so that the quality of their audits and the type of discussions that we are having now is very different than we have been having in the past.”
She posited that in the past they are talking about procedures and major issues that they had to resolve but now they are talking about new issues and more refined things that deal with a higher level of financial planning which as she puts it, “Is tremendous.”
Wilson and Klass also met with FIFA Development Manager for the Americas Serge Dumortier along with Development Officers based in the Caribbean and Guatemala , Harold Taylor and Mauricio Caballeros to discuss Guyana 's Goal Project (GP).
The GP which is also the brain child of Blatter will see the GFF building a training facility.
Today, the FAP meetings will continue, the CFU executive committee will also meet while this evening, delegates will be part of a special ground breaking ceremony as the host association, The Netherlands Antilles Football Union (NAVU) inaugurate their second Goal Project which coincides with their 85th anniversary.
Their first Goal project, a training and Lodging Centre (Mordy S.L Maduro), was inaugurated on the 24th of January 2003.
This facility houses the NAVU office also has a conference and instruction hall, a meeting room, a dormitory for 24 persons, 3 double rooms as well as kitchen and dining room facilities.
This is the first time that they are hosting the CFU Congress.