
Audio By Carbonatix
In what can be described as ‘a big disgrace’, Ghana could miss out on wearing their Puma jerseys for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations because of unpaid custom duties.The African giants have been unable to to pay the import duties for the apparel from the German manufacturers to be cleared.The Ghana FA needs over GH¢140,000 to clear the kit but the sports ministry, which has taken custody of the US$11m gained from the 2010 World Cup, has not responded to calls for the good to be cleared.This means the Black Stars will have to rely on local football jersey manufacturer Mingle to produce the jersey to be worn by the World Cup quarter finalists at Africa’s flagship competition if it is not cleared.According to Kwesi Nyantakyi, the GFA has written to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to intervene to enable them clear the goods, but after weeks of the notification, nothing has been heard from the minister.“If we wait for a while and we get to the crunch, perhaps, we may have to go in for a loan somewhere to clear the goods,” Nyantakyi said jokingly, but obviously, with some amount of disappointment in his voice.Although he expects the Ministry to intervene, he is not under illusion that it is only parliament that can do something about the law to ensure that bodies such as the GFA is exempt from the payment of duty in order to avert any such embarrassment in future.He added that until that is done, not even the ministry, which the FA looks up to can do something about the situation in which the GFA finds itself.Interestingly, at a time the GFA finds itself in dire financial straits, and can’t pay duty to clear its goods from the port, the football federation has $11million dollars with the ministry over which they are dialoguing and hoping some kind of deal would be struck for them to their share.The $11million is the GFA’s share of money for teams that played in the last World Cup, and also for qualifying to play in the quarter final of the World Cup.The money is now in the custody of the ministry because Ghanaians are told that the ministry pre-financed the Black Stars’ participation at the World Cup.This revelation will bring massive embarrassment to the country and government despite the huge name and success the team has brought the West African country.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
NACOC arrests three in Volta Region cannabis production and storage raid
4 minutes -
PAC Vice Chair raises alarm over stalled corruption prosecutions, calls for stronger enforcement
7 minutes -
Compassion International graduates urged to avoid deviant behaviour as they transition to independent life
21 minutes -
GES to set up committee to regulate celebrations on SHS campuses
26 minutes -
School environment is for learning, not post-WASSCE celebrations – Haruna Iddrisu
28 minutes -
School heads risk removal over extravagant student celebrations GES warns
33 minutes -
Gov’t moves to tackle student misconduct as education minister announces national forum
36 minutes -
Haruna Iddrisu extends ban on lavish school celebrations to all schools in Ghana
38 minutes -
Keir Starmer resigns as prime minister and leader of Labour Party
40 minutes -
From London to Accra: The UK-Ghana growth partnership in action
60 minutes -
Six dead, 34 rescued in multiple road crashes across Volta Region on Sunday
1 hour -
NCPTA’s Deafening Silence: How parental failure, moral decay and social media excesses are turning Ghana’s schools into theatres of indiscipline
1 hour -
Plastic pollution begins at design stage not gutters expert calls for producer responsibility
1 hour -
Weak systems continue to hold back investment in Ghana’s plastic economy says CircularTech founder
1 hour -
Wa East MP supports nurses, teachers with eye screening and glasses
1 hour