Sidibari
Sports Minister Abdulla Rafiu has revealed that the ministry is actively negotiating with state-owned enterprises concerning the repayment of FAM’s debts.
Speaking at last night’s Extraordinary Congress of the Football Association of Maldives, Minister Rafiu ensured the ongoing negotiations will end productively.
The Football Association of Maldives is currently indebted to three state-owned enterprises. FAM’s unpaid fares to the national airline Maldivian surpasses MVR 7.4 million. A sponsorship granted for a tournament that failed to kick off led FAM to owe MVR 1.5 million to the State Trading Organization STO. Meanwhile, FAM’s unpaid rent to HDC for a building leased on Hulhumale’ Phase 1 had been accumulating for the past four years.
The FAM’s total outstanding debt amounts to over MVR 150 million.
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Minister Rafiu highlighted the ministry’s role in revitalizing football and its governance in the Maldives; FAM’s normalizing committee had been provided with office space and human capital from the ministry. He also pointed out the ministry’s role in organizing various football tournaments over the past few months, and ongoing construction of sports infrastructure across the atolls.
Despite the financial crisis within FAM, the minister ensured the Sports Ministry will continue its efforts to ensure that players and teams do not miss out on important tournaments. He also highlighted that the Sports Act is in the midst of amendment.
Minister Rafiu ended by pleading with the FAM to amend its Article of Association, and do it in an inclusive manner.
Last night’s Congress is the first held by FAM under the normalization committee. The agenda included selection of members to three internal committees, plus the engagement of a third-party for the auditing of the associations’ finances for the years 2023 and 2024.
