I shall advocate for clubs not to pay 10% international transfer fees to GFA – Former vice president

George Afriyie, former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association has pledged to advocate for clubs not to pay for the 10% of international transfer fees to the Association.

The football governing body of Ghana in its wisdom initiated this regulation in the mid-2000s to generate revenue for the development of juvenile football and 5% percentage of the total transfer sum to the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA).

On Nhyira FM’s Power Sports, monitored closely by Awake News the Okyeman Planners President is of the view that in recent times, the monies accrued from the transfers are not used for it’s intended purpose, to develop grassroots football and seek the well-being of clubs hence his intention to call for its cancellation. “We must erase the 10% paid by clubs to the GFA after direct onward transfers,” he said.

“It has outlived its purpose and most clubs evade it by transferring players on loan initially and pay $500 for the ITC with an option to make it permanent later. Once it is made permanent they pay nothing to the GFA” he again stressed.

It will be recalled that the GFA under the Normalisation Committee in 2019 wrote to Tema Youth FC to pay 10% of the transfer sum of two players, Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Larveh to the association in which Tema Youth refused and explianed that they made an initial payment of $500 to the Association for each transfer of the two players on loan.

The former president said “Palmer’s transfer of Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Larveh became the talk of the town because the money involved was huge”.

George Afriyie emphatically stated he is one of the advocates who will call for its cancellation. “I am one of the advocates who will propose at congress for the 10% paid by clubs to the GFA for transfers outside to be scrapped. Its purpose has been defeated. The purpose was for the FA and GHALCA to use the funds generated to support the clubs in terms of their welfare, juvenile football and others but that has not been realized. It has been a while we organized any competition for juvenile football” he noted.

In a bid to buttress his position, he quizzed “Let’s say, Osei Palmer scouts a player from a colts club in Ashaiman, he can sell the player and 5% each of the amount is given to the GFA and GHALCA and it is not used to develop youth football, then what Benfica club gained ?

Not leaving GHALCA out, he pointed out that it is now a welfare body for only their members but not a welfare body for the clubs. “When have they gone to the aid of any club or clubs in difficulty? I am positive I will have the support of a lot of clubs to get rid of it” he concluded.

Filed By : Agaatorne Douglas Asaah / awakenewsroom.com