Ghana FA boss Kurt Okraku wants import duties on national team gear axed, saying the bill is choking the association's finances.
Ghana's football boss is taking the fight for the Black Stars to Parliament. GFA President Kurt Okraku has urged the government to exempt national team equipment and apparel from import taxes, calling the current setup a heavy financial burden on the association.
Speaking before Parliament's Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, Okraku explained that the GFA must pay duties on gear shipped in through its technical partnership with PUMA, even though every item is meant for national team use. His question to lawmakers was blunt: why should the federation pay extra just to get kits its teams need?
He described moments when cash shortages left the FA stuck at the port. Okraku recalled sending the director of national teams to clear just 30 pieces of playing strips ahead of the Black Stars' match against South Africa in Cape Coast, all so the players could take the field in their official uniforms.
"Sometimes, the FA is handicapped. We don't have the finances," he admitted, pushing the case for relief. For a federation juggling the demands of multiple national sides, Okraku argues that clearing red tape on basic equipment would free up resources for what matters most: preparing Ghana's teams to compete.
The ball is now in the government's court. If the exemption is granted, it could ease logistical headaches for the Black Stars and other national teams, and set a precedent that other African federations facing similar bureaucratic hurdles will be watching closely.
