Kurt Okraku questions taxes on importation of national team equipments, gate proceeds

Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has called on the government to consider exempting taxes on items imported for the nation's national teams. During a hearing before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, Okraku lamented the taxing burden on the GFA's equipment procurement. "The GFA is sometimes handicapped (and unable to pay for the cost of clearing its equipment).

We do not have the finances," he stated. Okraku also criticized the current Value Added Tax (VAT) rate of 17.5% applied to football tickets. He questioned why other sectors, such as entertainment, are not subjected to similar tax rates. "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," Okraku emphasized. Currently, most state agencies, including private entities acting on behalf of the state, are mandated to adhere to the government's tax regulations. For the Ghana Football Association, this includes taxes on items supplied by technical partners like PUMA, which encompass match day jerseys, training jerseys, boots, training equipment, and branding materials.