Tourism Authority closes down three defaulting facilities

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has closed down three facilities for failing to meet tourism standards and for defaulting in the payment of the one per cent tourism levy.

The defaulting facilities are Hill View Guest Centre, Suma Court Hotel Limited, and Tayiba Bar and Grill.

The Head of Corporate Affairs of GTA, Mr Jones Aruna Nelson, led officials of his outfit in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Tourism Development Fund to carry out the exercise with support from the Ghana Police Service.

He said the exercise was to caution tourism operators to conform to standards and ensure payment of the one per cent levy stipulated under the law.

Mr Nelson explained that the one per cent levy was to be used for the development of tourism facilities and everything related to tourism.

He therefore expressed concern that some tourism facilities were not paying their levies.

The GTA is mandated by law under the Tourism Act, 2011 (Act 817) and (LI 2185) to collect one per cent tourism levy from all tourism facilities including hotels, guest houses, serviced apartments, hostels, lodges, restaurants, traditional catering establishment (chop bars), drinking bars, travel, and tour agencies among others.

It also emerged that a total of GH¢ 678,856.15 was owed by some establishments in the Accra Metropolis as at the end of December 2021.

The Acting Project Officer of the Tourism Development Fund, Ms Akosua Ankrah, said those establishments had been given payment warrants to make payments as far back as June in 2021, but until now such payments had not been made.

She advised all tourism facilities to ensure payment of all outstanding arrears in full with immediate effect to avoid a fine or their establishments from being closed down.

Source: Ghanaian Times