The Ministry of Sports and Physical Education will, unlike other ministries in 2016, allocate a chunk of its budget to investment. In effect, the Ministry will in 2016 spend FCFA 177.6 billion, up from FCFA 23.7 billion in 2015, if all goes as planned. The draft budget for the ministry was scrutinised by the Committtee on Finance and Budget of the National Assembly yesterday November 29, 2015. Minister Bidoung Mkpatt defended the budget before Committee members with its Chairperson, Hon. Rosette Ayayi presiding.

The Minister told the Committee that only FCFA 13.2 billion will be used as running budget while FCFA 164.4 billion will be reserved for public investments with FCFA 74 billion from external financing, FCFA 100 million from transferred resources and FCFA 90 billion for the hosting of the 2016 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nation tournaments. Prominent on the Ministry’s 2016 roadmap is the coordination of sports movements and the development of sports facilities.

With regard to the execution of projects earmarked for the Africa Nations Cup, the Sports and Physical Education boss in his presentation noted that; “the Government of the Republic through all the ministries involved in major work sites, are fully conscious of the challenge to be met for a good organisation of these major sports events engaging the honour and pride of our whole nation.”

The Minister, while breaking down the programmes, dwelled lengthtily on the Africa cup series. He said in addition to sports facilities under construction in view of the 2016 and 2019 AFCONS, the preparation of participating Cameroonian national teams will include not only competitions preceding the events, but also, as much as possible, friendly matches both at home and abroad.