The Eastern Regional Football Association (ERFA) and the Eastern Regional branch of the Referees Association of Ghana (RAG), have agreed to use the services of experienced referees from the Premier and Division One League (s) to assist in officiating in the upcoming football season.

The motive behind the agreement is to enhance officiating in the league, promote fair play and upgrade the standard of football in the region.

The ERFA believes that with fair officiating coupled with other measures, the second division league will be attractive for sponsorship from corporate bodies.

This decision came to light, after the Executive Council of the Regional Football Association (RFA) engaged leaders of the Eastern regional branch of the RAG to deliberate on measures to promote fair officiating in football in the region.

Out of the deliberations, the two bodies further agreed on a 25 percent increase of the Gh¢ 160.00 officiating fees paid to referees previously.

At the meeting, the leadership of the referees argued that, since 2016, they have maintained the same officiating fee of Gh¢160.00 and therefore needed an increment of 100 per cent of which the Executive Council rejected and rather proposed a 12 per cent increment due to the financial strength of clubs in the region.

However, upon further discussions, both parties concluded on a 25 per cent increment of the officiating fee.

The RFA also discussed how to ensure that promotion and demotion would be done so that the number of clubs participating in the division two league would be cut down from 74 clubs to 32 as directed by the Ghana Football Association (GFA). –GNA