Coronavirus relief fund: YEA confirms final payment to athletes

The Public Relations Officer (PRO), for the Youth Employment Agency (YEA),Emmanuel Afriyie has told Happy Sports that plans are underway to pay the last tranch of the COVID-19 relief fund to athletes.

The YEA in collaboration with the National Sports Authority (NSA), Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Paralympic Committee introduced a module to support athletes who had been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to YEA, the athletes were to receive GHC 500 for six months.

Happy Sports has gathered that athletes have been paid for only five months with the last payment yet to reflect.

Speaking in an interview with Odiasempa Kwame Oware on Wamputu Sports on Happy 98.9FM, the YEA PRO explained the delay in the payment of the last allowance for the athletes.

“The contract ended in January this year. The COVID caused a lot of hardship in a lot of sectors and we decided with the NSA, GFA and GOC, Para-Olympics to help these athletes”

“We have paid the athletes and it’s left with one month for us to pay. The elections and the unavailability of the Finance Minister is what led to the delay. Hopefully things will be put in place now that the Finance Minister has been appointed for payment to be done”.

The YEA PRO was silent on the issue of the stimulus package’s extension.

“For now, I can’t confirm if there will be an extension of the scheme or not. All I can say is that things have been put in place”.