There is a brewing tension over the government’s intention to introduce a levy to fund sports development, as IMANI Africa is the latest think tank to criticise the proposed move.
Minister for Sports, Kofi Iddi Adams, explains that the government’s proposed Sports Fund Bill is aimed at supporting and sustaining sporting development.
But the public policy think tank says the proposed levy is an attempt to reap where it has not sown.
According to IMANI’s analysis, the proposed fund’s revenue model is problematic. It seeks to draw money from sponsorship deals, athlete transfers, and even a share of the financial gains made by athletes themselves.
To IMANI, this setup smacks of unfairness and poor policy design. The think tank cannot fathom how the state can claim a portion of earnings from athletes when it has made little or no direct investment in their personal growth or career development.
IMANI’s critique is premised on the longstanding situation in the country where athletes often struggle with inadequate training facilities, limited government support, and delayed bonuses. The idea of taxing their hard-won income does not sit well with the think tank.
Ghana’s sporting heroes, from footballers and boxers to athletes, have frequently credited private sponsorships and personal sacrifices, not state funding, for their rise to prominence.
“The proposed Sports Fund, however, raises critical questions. Its sources of revenue include percentages from sponsorship deals, athlete transfers, and even the financial gains of athletes themselves. This structure risks appearing as though the government is reaping where it has not sown,” the analysis of IMANI indicated.
“Can the state credibly claim to have invested sufficiently in the development of these athletes to justify taking a share of their earnings? What role does the government play in securing sponsorships for clubs or athletes?” it further quizzed.
The think tank further notes the government has not disclosed how much the proposed fund intends to raise annually, nor has it clarified whether the finance minister will introduce a new levy in the next national budget.
Without such details, the policy risks becoming another vague promise wrapped in patriotic rhetoric.
If the Sports Fund is truly meant to uplift athletes and develop the sector, IMANI insists, then the government must first demonstrate investment, through transparent budgeting, improved infrastructure, and reliable support for local clubs and academies.
Anything short of that, the think tank warns, would make the fund appear less as a developmental tool and more as a revenue grab cloaked in national pride.
