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Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has called for tax exemptions on national team equipment, revealing that the association sometimes struggles to clear Black Stars kits from the port because of import duties.
Okraku said the GFA does not always have the funds to meet the charges on kits supplied through its technical partnership with Puma, creating difficulties ahead of international matches.
Speaking before Parliament’s Select Committee on Youth and Sports, he questioned why equipment for national teams should be subjected to import duties.
“On every given occasion, we have to go to the port, import duties. Sometimes, the FA is handicapped. We don’t have the finances,” he said.
He recalled an incident before Ghana’s match against South Africa in Cape Coast when the GFA had to send its Director of National Teams to the port to clear 30 pieces of playing kit so the Black Stars could take the field.
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“I remember clearly this happened when we played against South Africa in Cape Coast, so that the Black Stars can just wear their uniforms to play,” he added.
Okraku also criticised the 17.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) charged on football tickets, arguing that football clubs are taxed more heavily than other entertainment providers.
“We are charged 17.5 VAT at the gate on every game that we play. And yet, other entertainment providers are charged less. This is a problem that I’ve brought to the fore of leadership, not on one occasion, not twice, maybe more,” he said.
The GFA President called for a review of the tax regime, arguing that the financial burden makes it harder for football clubs and the association to operate and develop the game.
