‘Stars appearance fees are taxed’
The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi, has said money paid to players of the Black Stars as appearance fees for the three World Cup competitions are taxed by the respective host countries.
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He said the taxes are deducted based on the domestic laws of the host countries.
“During our participation in the 2006 World Cup in Germany about 21.1 per cent tax was deducted from the appearance fees.
Similarly, 17 per cent was also deducted during the World Cup in South Africa in 2010,” explained Mr Nyantakyi, at a media briefing held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra yesterday to clarify issues pertaining to Ghana’s participation at the World Cup.
The FA boss explained that since the world football federation paid appearance fees to football federations at the end the tournament, the government of Ghana only advanced money to the players through the FA, which later reimbursed the government upon receipt of its appearance fees from FIFA.
Mr Nyantakyi, who also chairs the Stars’ management committee, was of the opinion that Ghana’s third World Cup campaign in Brazil could not be described as “wasteful and shameful” because even though the Stars could not make it past the preliminary round, their performance was respectable.
In spite of his denial that FA officials did not receive bonuses akin to those paid to the players, the FA chief admitted that members of the Black Stars management committee and other FA staff who provided essential duties during tournaments have since the 2006 World Cup received honorariums as motivation for services rendered even though he failed to disclose how much each official was paid.
Ghana’s contingent to Brazil, he stated was 57, comprising 23 players, 20-man technical team and seven other officials, all of whom had functions to perform in Brazil.
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And with FIFA catering for transport, boarding and lodging for up to a 50-man contingent per participating country, the government, therefore, picked up bills covering the seven extra officials.