The Ghana Hoteliers Association has announced its intention to investigate threats from some of its members to take legal action against the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for failing to pay 80% of the funds owed for hosting guests during the 13th African Games in Accra.
Despite having received only 20% of the agreed amount, the hoteliers’ repeated efforts to secure the remaining balance from the Ministry have been unsuccessful.
Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyameke, President of the Hoteliers Association, expressed his concerns in a conversation with Citi News on Sunday. He emphasized the need for the government to ensure timely payments to service providers.
“The games were organised in March, and we are now well into July. These rates were negotiated well before the games started, so one would expect that the costs were factored into the budget for the African Games and that provisions would have been made for prompt payment,” Dr. Ackah-Nyameke stated.
“As reported, only 20% of the payment has been made, leaving 80% still outstanding. It is possible that more hotels than the reported 40 are in the same situation,” he added.
Dr. Ackah-Nyameke indicated that the Association will investigate the matter and advocate for the prompt payment of the outstanding arrears.
He also highlighted the broader issue of public agencies’ delayed payments to hotels, which has led some hotels to avoid dealing with such agencies altogether.
“This is an ongoing issue that continues to confront the industry. To the extent that some hotels have decided not to engage with public agencies because of issues like this, it’s not something new. We need to address it, and I hope this story will prompt the relevant agencies to fulfil their financial responsibilities to the hotels,” he added.
The 13th African Games, held this year, saw participation from over 13,000 individuals, including 5,000 athletes, 3,000 technical officials, 3,000 volunteers, and 2,000 guests from 54 African countries. Many of these guests were accommodated in hotels in Accra.
The LOC and the Ministry of Youth and Sports had negotiated rates with the hoteliers before the games, promising to pay the remaining 80% of the fees immediately after the conclusion of the event on March 23. However, the Ministry has yet to settle the outstanding debt.
