The situation is very complicated. Following an inspection by the three bodies responsible for part of parasport in France, the Handisport Federation, the adapted sport federation (FFSA, mental handicap) and the Paralympic Committee (CPSF), the Court draws up a worrying report on the situation of FFH for the 2014 to 2020 financial years, in a summary published on Wednesday.
“The financial situation of the FFH is worrying, writes the Court. In the current state of its investigations and in the absence of the rapid corrective measures which it calls for, the Court considers that the risk for the FFH of finding itself in suspension of payments in the near future cannot be ruled out and, in in any case, by the Paris 2024 Games.”
Asked by AFP, the general delegate of the FFH, Louis-Frédéric Doyez explained that “the situation had changed for several months”, since the findings of the Court of Auditors. “18 months ago we were in great difficulty but this is no longer the case,” he assured AFP, reporting a positive development in the situation.
This situation is due to an “accumulation of deficits since 2014” to the tune of 2.8 million euros, even though the FFH benefits from “significant public subsidies” to the tune of 4 million euros annually on average. She also notes “unregistered liabilities for nearly 2 million euros” due to a conflict with the town hall of Paris over her rental debt.
In addition, the receivership of its subsidiary “Résidence internationale de Paris constitutes a real threat for the Federation itself, including in view of the Paralympic Games of 2024” because “this residence is one of the rare hotel structures able to accommodate athletes with disabilities. One of the Court’s recommendations is “to examine, in consultation with it, the ways and means for the State to remedy the financial crisis experienced by the FFH, linked to the International Residence. »
The Court of Auditors points out that the FFH violates its obligations of “transparent management” and that the sports management, which has supervision over the Federation, “was not aware of the extent of the financial difficulties”. Overall, it notes that these “delegated” federations must be better supported by the State.
According to the figures cited in this summary, the FFH has 40 employees, a budget of 11 million euros for 30,000 licensees in 2020. The FFSA has 65,000 licensees and a budget of 5 million euros and “its situation appears financially sound.
The Paralympic Games will take place from August 28 to September 8, 2024. The Organizing Committee for the Games had initially received an endowment of 100 million euros from the State and communities to make the Paralympic Games, an endowment which comes just been increased to 171 million because the organization of the Paralympic Games was “not balanced”.