Moorosi Tsiane
THE Premier League Management Committee (PLMC) has increased gate fees for league matches to M30 from the previous M20.
The new fares are with effect from the beginning of the upcoming 2019/20 season which commences on Saturday.
PLMC spokesperson Moeketsi Ramakatsa told the Lesotho Times yesterday that the new fares were necessitated by the need to accommodate league sponsors Econet Telecom Lesotho, who will now get M5 from every ticket. Each ticket holder will also get a M5 Skafthini airtime voucher.
In previous years the PLMC would get 10 percent of the gate takings from each match and Ramakatsa said the payout would also increase by M2, 50 this season.
“The payout will increase by M2, 50 from the initial 10 percent this year since the gate takings have also increased,” Ramakatsa said.
“Our sponsors have been complaining that they are not getting any returns from football, so the fares are also meant to create value for the sponsors. Econet will be selling their Skafthini airtime vouchers along with the match tickets this season and this is why the fares have been increased.”
He said they intend to come up with a new system where tickets for Premier League matches are sold at Econet shops across the country so that Econet can then deduct its M5 for the airtime voucher from every ticket sold.
“We have asked Econet to come up with a system similar to that of computicket so that no tickets would be sold at the grounds. When one buys a ticket at an Econet shop, Econet then deducts its M5 for the Skhafthini voucher.
“Apart from the 10 percent that we were getting, we are now getting an extra M2, 50 while the other M2, 50 will be channeled to the teams.”
He said they want Econet to sell the tickets to enhance transparency to avoid under hand dealings.
“Sometimes a team would collect M50 000 in gate takings but they would disburse M300 claiming they did not make any money because there were no records. If Econet sells the tickets, they will then split the money among all the stakeholders using the agreed proportions and ratios,” he said.
Ramakatsa said the stakeholders would meet tomorrow to finalise the modalities.
“We were supposed to have met the teams but unfortunately we were busy but we will now meet on Friday and hear their thoughts on the new fares,” Ramakatsa said.
