Another Fund, Another Failure?: IMANI Fears Proposed Sports Fund Could Join Ghana’s List of Misused Levies

Policy think tank IMANI Africa is raising serious red flags over the government’s intention to establish a sports fund with the objective of financing sports development in the country.

Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, says the fund will be funded by a sports levy which will be imposed on sponsorship deals, player transfers, and even athlete earnings, among others.

But IMANI Africa is concerned that the fund might become one of those funds financed through levies and taxes, which are now mismanaged without transparency. The think tank fears the fund is a typical candidate to join the country’s long list of similar funds, which are poorly handled.

In its latest Criticality Analysis titled “Ghana’s Sporting Triumphs and the Debate on a Proposed Sports Fund,” IMANI questions whether the fund will genuinely benefit athletes or simply become another cash pot riddled with inefficiency.

The think tank cites Ghana’s chequered history with special-purpose funds, such as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), GETFund, Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), and even the Cash Waterfall Mechanism, which, despite noble intentions, have often fallen short of expectations.

“Ghana’s history with special-purpose funds such as the NHIS, GETFund, MIIF, and the Cash Waterfall Mechanism shows that levies and earmarked funds often fail to deliver their intended outcomes. In 2025, the government had to draw from the tax refund account to cover education deficits and raise the Energy Sector Recovery Levy (ESRL) from GHS0.20 to GHS1 to keep the lights on. These precedents cast doubt on whether a Sports Fund would fare any better,” the analysis indicated.

IMANI further raised concern over the role of the National Sports Authority (NSA), the state body tasked with overseeing sports administration. IMANI warns that without a clearly defined mandate, the NSA could be sidelined entirely, turning the fund into a bureaucratic free-for-all.

From health to education to energy, the country’s history with special-purpose funds often starts with promise but ends with public disillusionment.

Without transparency, accountability, and discipline, the proposed Sports Fund could quickly morph from a celebration of sporting ambition into yet another symbol of fiscal mismanagement.

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