National Council of Sports Act
Chapter 48
An Act to establish a National Council of Sports and other purposes connected therewith.
1. Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
(a)"chairperson" means the chairperson of the council;
(b)"council" means the council established under section 2;
(c)"functions" includes powers and duties.
2. Establishment of the council
(1)There shall be established a body corporate which shall be known as the National Council of Sports.
(2)The council shall be a body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal and may sue and be sued in its corporate name.
(3)The affixing of the common seal of the council shall be authenticated by the signature of the chairperson of the council and two other members of the council.
(4)In the absence of the chairperson of the council such person as may be nominated by the chairperson for that purpose shall, in addition to the other two members of the council, authenticate the affixing of the common seal.
(5)The signature of the chairperson of the council or of the person nominated for that purpose under subsection (4) and of the two other members shall be independent of the signing by any other person who may sign any such document as a witness.
(6)The council may, for and in connection with its functions under this Act, purchase, hold, manage and dispose of any property and may enter into such contracts and other transactions as may be expedient.
3. Objects and functions of the council
(1)The objects for which the council is established shall be—
(a)to develop, promote and control all forms of amateur sports on a national basis in conjunction with voluntary amateur sports organisations or associations by providing—
(i)training and other staff;
(ii)grants-in-aid to national associations or organisations;
(iii)stadia, playing fields and other facilities;
(iv)sports equipment and other sports items as may be necessary for the accelerated development of sports;
(b)to encourage and facilitate cooperation among the various national associations;
(c)to approve international and national sports competitions and festivals organised by national and other associations;
(d)to organise, in consultation with the national associations, national, international and other sports competitions and festivals as a means of exchanging experience and fostering friendly relations with other nations; and
(e)to do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects or any of them as may be approved by the Minister.
(2)It shall be the duty of the council—
(a)to stimulate general interest in all sports by their organisation at all levels;
(b)to plan the general policy of sports promotion;
(c)to award, in consultation with the national associations, medals, diplomas, certificates, trophies and other incentives for the encouragement and promotion of sporting activities;
(d)to sponsor scholarships for the training of coaches and organisers;
(e)to advise the Minister regarding external relations in the field of sports;
(f)to arrange with local authorities for the provision of sporting facilities at all local levels and to inculcate a high level of sportsmanship and discipline in all sportspersons;
(g)to provide sports medical clinics and other such facilities; and
(h)to approve the expenditure of national associations in receipt of grants made by or through the council and to audit the accounts of such associations.
4. Members of the council
(1)The council shall consist of a chairperson and ten other members, four of whom shall be regional representatives.
(2)The chairperson and the other members of the council shall be appointed by the Minister and shall hold office for a term of two years.
(3)A member of the council may at any time resign his or her office by writing under his or her hand addressed to the Minister or may be removed from office at any time for inability to perform the functions of his or her office or for any other sufficient cause.
(4)The chairperson of the council shall be directly responsible to the Minister in the performance of his or her functions under this Act.
(5)A member of the council ceasing to hold office shall be eligible for reappointment.
(6)Subject to the general or specific directions of the Minister, the council shall have the sole management of the property, policy and activities of the council.
5. Funds of the council
(1)The funds of the council shall consist of—
(a)grants from the Government;
(b)any loan granted to the council by the Government or any other person with the prior approval of the Minister; and
(c)any monies accruing to the council in the course of the discharge of its functions under this or any other enactment.
(2)All monies received by the council shall be deposited to the credit of the council in a bank approved by the Minister.
6. Meetings of the council
(1)The council shall meet for the dispatch of business at such time and place as the chairperson may appoint and shall meet at least once in every three months.
(2)If the chairperson is absent from any meeting of the council, a member nominated by the chairperson or if no member is so nominated a member appointed by the members of the council at the meeting shall preside.
(3)Questions proposed at a meeting of the council shall be determined by a simple majority of the members present and voting; and in the event of an equality of votes, the chairperson or the person presiding at the meeting shall have a casting vote.
(4)The quorum at any meeting of the council shall be five, including the general secretary.
(5)The proceedings of any meeting of the council shall be valid notwithstanding any vacancy among its members or by reason of a defect in the appointment of any of them.
7. Staff
(1)There shall be appointed by the council a general secretary to the council who shall be a full-time employee of the council and shall be a member of the council ex officio.
(2)The general secretary shall be responsible for the execution of the policies of the council and shall carry out all such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the council.
(3)The council may, from time to time, and subject to such directions as may be given by the Minister, appoint such number of employees as may appear expedient for the proper and efficient discharge of the functions of the council.
(4)The council may grant pensions, gratuities or retiring allowances to employees of the council and require them to contribute to any pension, provident fund or superannuation scheme.
(5)If an officer receiving pensionable emoluments in the public service is transferred or seconded to the council, the period which he or she serves with the council shall, for the purposes of computation of the time and amount of pension payable to the officer, be deemed to be service in a pensionable post.
8. Accounts and audit
(1)The council shall cause to be kept proper accounts and other records in relation to them.
(2)The books of account kept under subsection (1) shall be balanced on the thirtieth day of June each year and shall be audited by the Auditor General or an auditor appointed by the Auditor General.
(3)The annual statement of accounts as audited shall be signed by the chairperson and two members of the council and the general secretary and shall be sent to the Minister not later than the thirtieth day of September each year.
(4)The annual statement of accounts shall, as soon as practicable, be laid by the Minister before Parliament and shall be published in the Gazette.
(5)The annual statement of accounts shall give a true and fair view of the profits or losses of the council for the period to which it relates.
9. Annual report
The council shall not later than three months after each financial year submit an annual report on the activities of the council to the Minister which shall be laid before Parliament.
10. Regulations
The Minister may, after consultation with the council, by statutory instrument, make regulations for better carrying into effect the purposes and provisions of this Act and, in particular, for the following matters—
(a)the establishment of national associations and the registration of the associations with the council;
(b)the functions of national associations;
(c)the establishment and composition of national committees, including subcommittees, other than committees of national associations;
(d)the promotion and encouragement, in consultation with the Minister responsible for education, of sports and games in schools and colleges.