SDF pleased with handling of 2022 budget

WILKS … it was always known that anything close to this budget would never be enough to meet the requirements (Photo: Observer file)

THE Sports Development Foundation (SDF) sees an increase in its spending for fiscal year 2022. However, this increase is in part due to inactivity in local sports during 2020 and 2021 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Although it has a budget of just over $696 million for 2022, SDF director general Denzil Wilks said earlier this year that the panel forecast the figure would be stretched to its limits due to expected requests from various associations when the Sport returns to normal operations this year.

This return to normality means that as competition resumes, so will training camps and leagues for athletes and teams across multiple sports disciplines. It also means more regional and international tournaments have resumed in 2022, and the SDF said the majority of requests are expected to be for travel assistance.

Wilks says those anticipated requests have come as expected, with less traditional sports such as table tennis, powerlifting, lacrosse, rugby union and rugby league seeking help, but says it’s normal given Jamaica’s athletic ability.

“The athletic fraternity in Jamaica has been extremely powerful over the years,” he said Jamaica observer.

“It was always known that anything close to that budget would never be enough to meet the requirements.”

That observer sought information on first and second quarter 2022 spending, which fell between January 1 and March 31 and April 1 and April 30 (the nature of its operations), but was advised that these figures could not be shared , as an official review by PricewaterhouseCoopers has not yet been completed. However, in its 2021 Annual Report dated April 27, 2022, the SDF forecast that it would have spent approximately $254 million in the first quarter and approximately $174 million in the second, while expecting $143 million in the third quarter. and just under $125 million in the fourth.

Expenditure each quarter relates to infrastructure development and rehabilitation across the island, grants to National Sports Associations, tickets to sporting events, grants to government agencies, special projects, summer camps, Special Operations Intervention Zones, Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL ), Athlete Welfare and special grants that would assist other organizations in funding sports-related activities.

The 2022 budget represents a 55.76 percent increase over the 2021 budget of $441 million and a 53.56 percent increase over 2020, when the pandemic began.

National associations are expected to receive a total of $199.4 million from the 2022 budget, an increase from $196.6 million in fiscal 2021 and an even larger increase from $158 million in 2020.

With the hosting of the Carifta Games last April and the Jamaica Football Association’s FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign, a total of US$153.2 million has been allocated to this effort.

Infrastructure projects were expected to cost the SDF $183 million in 2022, a significant increase from the $137.2 million spent in 2021 but not significantly more than the $180.5 million -Dollars spent in 2020. However, Wilks says that spending went over budget.

“This is the first time since I’ve been here, and probably in the history of the SDF, that our spending on infrastructure is over budget,” he said. “It’s good that we can respond as we are, but it puts us in an extremely tense situation and we would appreciate if we could get additional funding.”

The SDF gave PFJL $7.8 million for the Jamaica Premier League for 2022, a $200,000 increase on the 2021 appropriation and a $2.6 million increase to that budget for 2020.

$10 million each for JIIM and Racers were earmarked for 2022, $2.8 million, but both meetings, which normally take place in the summer, have not happened so far this year. However, the figure is less than what JIIM received in 2019 and $8 million less than what Racers received this year when both meetings were last hosted.

The Institute of Sports received $21 million this year, the same number as in 2020 but an increase from $12 million in 2021. The Social Development Commission received $5 million for 2022, which same number as in 2019. Independence Park Limited is the other government agency to receive funding this year. The $17.1 million given remains unchanged from previous years. However, GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport will not receive funding this year, as it will in 2021. Its last allocation was $336,000 in 2020.

Athlete Welfare, Grants for Those in Need and Special Projects saw a decrease in their 2022 budget as a target of $19.2 million. These received $22.5 million in 2021 and $19.1 million in 2020.

Another significant increase in spending for 2022 will be tickets for sporting events. A total of $15.6 million was awarded for 2022, compared to $269,000 for 2021 and $1.5 million for 2020.

However, one area that has received less funding for 2022 is special allocations. It earned $20 million in 2022, down $8.4 million from 2021 and down $3.3 million from 2020.

Wilks describes this as business as usual for the SDF.

“We’re used to being financially tight,” he said. “We would definitely like to get more [funds] but we try our best to make do with what we have. All of this means we’re not able to provide what’s requested, but we’ve done pretty well to be able to provide at least some level of support.”

Although COVID-19 may have meant a decline in Jamaica’s athletic activity for over two years and resulted in a reduction in the SDF’s overall spending, it says the pandemic has not had a material impact on its financial performance.