Less than a month after it emerged that International Olympic Committee (IOC) members were getting an increase in their expenses coincident with the Movement’s transparency drive, one of the leading International Sports Federations (IFs) has disclosed that its top volunteers have, in turn, received a 33 per cent rise in their per diem payments.

The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has revealed that since January 1, members of its Bureau and other top office holders have received $400 (£268/€370) a day for days of travel on FINA business, up from $300 (£201/€278) heretofore.

FINA said in a press release:

“In answer to the IOC President Thomas Bach and Agenda 2020’s call for transparency, FINA, one of the most important stakeholders of the Olympic programme states that the President, the honorary secretary, the honorary treasurer and the Bureau members do not receive any kind of indemnity.

“They are considered volunteers and do not receive a salary.

“Until December 31 2014 they received $300 per diem for the days of travel for FINA business and from January 1 2015, $400 per diem.

“The travel expenses are covered in business class.”

The disclosure comes some three months before an Extraordinary Congress of the governing body in Kazan that is scheduled to take place just ahead of this year’s World Championships in the same Russian city.

Proposed constitutional amendments submitted by the FINA Bureau include deletion of a rule setting the maximum age of elected FINA members, including Julio César Maglione, its 79-year-old Uruguayan President.

Under the new IOC indemnity policy, it was proposed that IOC members and honorary members get $7,000 (£4,700/€6,500) for annual administrative support and a $450 (£301/€416) a day indemnity for attending meetings, including travelling time.

This compared with figures of $6,000 (£4,015/€5,553) and $400 (£268/€370) a day set out in an Agenda 2020 background document published last November.

IOC Executive Board members attending meetings would meanwhile get $900 (£602/€833) a day, against a one-off payment of $2,000 (£1,338/€1,851) previously.

FINA also stated that its office employed 32 individuals, “including 11 part-time positions”.


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