FIFA consultant pleased with JFF progress – Chung
Published:Wednesday | June 7, 2023 | 1:12 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
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SINCE LAST November the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has been under the supervision of a FIFA financial consultant, whose objective is to help turn around the cash-strapped organisation, whose funding from FIFA has been cut. However, JFF...
SINCE LAST November the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has been under the supervision of a FIFA financial consultant, whose objective is to help turn around the cash-strapped organisation, whose funding from FIFA has been cut.
However, JFF general secretary, Dennis Chung, said his organisation has made headway and believes that over the next year, they will become compliant with FIFA’s structural demands and have full funding returned to the federation.
According Chung, the financial consultant, who has been assigned to the JFF for one year, is not here to cast judgement but to help bring their books, systems and structure in order.
“The consultant is here helping us to put things in place. I welcome the consultant being here because he is a real professional. He is supporting us by putting in the right policies and systems in place,” Chung said.
He noted that since November, a number of those policies have been implemented. He revealed also that the federation is also now fully compliant with tax authorities, which he argues is big progress.
“A procurement policy, which the JFF did not have, we have put in, along with a safeguarding children policy. So we have attacked the organisation’s structure and it’s going to take a little while, and maybe we won’t start seeing changes until about a year.
“However, he (consultant) said there has been progress. FIFA has said there is progress and we are taking our time and doing what we must,” he said.
He disclosed that the mother organisation was still restricting financial allocation to the JFF but does not think that will remain the case for long.
“Yes, we are still under restricted funding. But the consultant is helping us to get out. I am not sure if everyone was happy with what was here before or have seen the progress we have made. But that is what we are trying to do (remove restriction). It will take about a year to start seeing fundamental changes but they have started already.
“The fact that we have a tax compliance certificate after 10 years says we are up to date with our taxes and it wasn’t that way before.
“So FIFA is seeing the work that is happening and they are pleased and will help us to build on it further.”