{
  "id": 18141598,
  "title": "Kurt Okraku demands for tax exemptions on Black Stars equipment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/kurt-okraku-demands-for-tax-exemptions-on-black-stars-equipment",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-04T15:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/kurt-okraku-demands-for-tax-exemptions-on-black-stars-equipment/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku has petitioned the government to exempt national team equipment from import taxes, stating that the association often encounters difficulties in clearing Black Stars kits from the port due to the financial strain. The GFA lacks the resources to cover the necessary import fees on equipment provided through its partnership with sportswear manufacturer Puma. During a meeting with Parliament’s Select Committee on Youth and Sports, Okraku questioned why equipment designated for national teams should be subject 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 stated. A specific instance occurred before Ghana’s match against South Africa in Cape Coast, where the GFA had to dispatch its Director of National Teams to the port to clear 30 sets of playing kit to ensure the Black Stars had the required uniforms for the game. Okraku also voiced concerns over the 17.5% Value Added Tax (VAT) levied on football match tickets, arguing that the tax structure imposes an unfair financial burden on football clubs. He questioned why football is taxed at a higher rate than other entertainment activities and called for a review of the policy. \"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 added. The GFA president asserts that the current tax regime is making it increasingly challenging for clubs and the association to generate sufficient revenue to support the country's football development.",
  "summary": "Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has called on the government to exempt national team equipment from import duties, revealing that the association sometimes struggles to clear Black Stars kits from the port because of the financial burden. Okraku says the GFA does not always have the resources to pay the required import charges […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}