The Hohoe Zone of the Ghana Hotels Association has expressed concern over treatments of members by the Volta Regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Association said their members had faced unwarranted scrutiny and unjustified fees from the Agency with unclear billing criteria, numerous instances of overreach, intimidation and unlawful locking of facilities at will in recent months.
Mr George Ashiagbor, Hohoe Zonal Coordinator of the Association, during a press conference in Hohoe, said the approach by EPA was a “heavy-handed approach” which had severely impacted the operations and livelihoods of many hotels in the Zone.
He said five hotels in the Zone were unlawfully closed by the Agency while some were arrested and sent to the police station for delay in payment.
Mr Ashiagbor said the hotels paid 19 different taxes to ensure full operations therefore the EPA’s actions had created a climate of fear and uncertainty among the members hindering their ability to effectively ran their businesses and provided quality services to their guests.
He said the excessive regulations and enforcement practices employed by the EPA were not only unjust but also detrimental to the growth and sustainability of the hospitality industry in the Hohoe Zone.
Mr Ashiagbor said the Association called on the Volta Region EPA headed by its Acting Director, Mr Hope Smith Lomotey to cease its harassment of members and engage in a constructive dialogue to address any legitimate concerns regarding environmental compliance.
“We believe that collaboration and mutual respect are essential to finding solutions that benefit both the EPA and the hospitality sector. Together, we can achieve a balance between environmental protection and the needs of businesses, ensuring a sustainable future for all”.
He said they urged the EPA to work with the members in a transparent and fair manner, respecting the rights of members and recognising the important role that hotels played in the local economy.
Mr Ashiagbor noted that out of the six regulatory bodies for hotels in the country, the rapport between the Association and the EPA was nothing to write home about.
Documents presented at the press conference issued by the EPA revealed that some hotels with more rooms paid less levies to the EPA than those with less rooms.
The Association said they were not seeing nor receiving any impact from the Agency despite the exorbitant levies being charged, adding that levies paid were higher than what was stipulated on the EPA’s website.
When contacted, Mr Lomotey, denied the allegations and described them as ‘baseless and of no effect’ because charges were lawful according to the Agency’s Act 1080 (2022, while there was no intimidation from the EPA and all fees collected were receipted.
He said his officers continued to discharge their duties upholding their mandate under ACT 490 of 1994, Legislative Instrument 1999, L. I. 1652, which are specific basis to charge processing fees.
He urged the Zonal team to be ready to provide evidence of harassment, names of officials championing the illegal charges and bills in an upcoming meeting with the Regional and National officials of GHA.
