Georgetown : The National Assembly last evening passed the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill that seeks to provide legal administrative guidelines for cricket.
The Alliance For Change (AFC) did not support the bill, while the other parliamentary party, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) voted in favour.
Sport Minister Dr. Frank Anthony who presented the bill to the National Assembly said it was drafted after extensive consultations with all stakeholders following recommendation in a ruling made by the High Court.
Dr. Anthony pointed out that the bill firstly makes it legal for the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to be established as a corporate body comprising the Demerara, Essequibo and the Berbice Cricket Boards, all of which will also be made corporate entities.
A section of the bill will address the issue of phantom voting for the election of persons for administrative positions and at the same time, gives limited power to the Minister of Sports.
“We created a unique innovation and we created the position of a cricket ombudsman, this person will be tasked with the responsibility of verifying and registering of clubs, he or she will have ample time to verify legitimacy of clubs.”
The role of the Minister under this legislation will only be to appoint the ombudsman.
“The Minister’s roles has been minimised in this bill, the only role is that which is provided for, he can only appoint the ombudsman, after that first election the role of the minister ceases.”
The National Assembly was also told that the bill provides for better financial accountability. As such, the GCB, under this new legislation will be required to present timely audited financial reports to the National Assembly, as well as the National Sports Commission.
“We feel that with greater scrutiny and oversight of financial records, that allegations of financial impropriety will be reduced.”
The Subject Minister added that the recommendations from the Chief Justice in his rulings were taken into consideration and were clearly crafted in the bill. Issues raised during public consultations over a period of time were also taken into consideration.
Minister Anthony added that he is confident that all the past issues which once hampered cricket in Guyana have been addressed in the bill.
Guyana now joins two other Caribbean nations, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados which made the governing bodies for cricket legal entities.
This bill also will bring to an end the life of an Interim Management Committee which was established following a court battle and the Chief Justice’s ruling in 2011.
