Forum blues: Hotel owners offered massive price reduction

Deputy Minister of Works and Housing has disclosed that the management of Royal Senchi Resort Hotel where the National Economic Forum (NEF) was held “slashed their prices by half as their contribution to the Conference”.

According to Sampson Kwaku Ahi, it is not true that government paid the rates quoted on the Hotel’s website because the management gave government a “special” package.

“…as part of their contribution, the management of Royal Senchi Resort Hotel slashed rates by half,” he revealed on NEAT 100.9 FM in Accra.

The deputy minister of Works and Housing had to come out to clear the air due to concerns about the amount quoted as rates on the Royal Senchi Resort Hotel's website.

This rate was calculated by the number of participants of the National Economic Forum, which is believed to be well over 400.

However, this revelation by Mr Ahi has led many to question why the management of the Royal Senchi Resort Hotel, who are believed to be leading members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), who also boycotted the forum for the late arrival of invitation, sponsors it by slashing prices by half.

The debate about the cost of the National Economic Forum and who the real owners of Royal Senchi Resort Hotel seem to have overshadowed the conclusions of the forum which has been christened, ‘the Senchi Consensus’.

The three-day forum, which kicked off on Tuesday, 13th May, 2014 came to a close on Thursday, 15th May, 2014.

The three-day National Economic Forum at Senchi near Akosombo in the Eastern Region ended with the non-partisan participants coming out with a 22-point resolution.

The forum brought together heads of institutions and organizations, former Governors of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), former Finance Ministers, government officials, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), political parties excluding the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and some policy think-tanks.

The participants were tasked to deliberate and prescribe effective ways through which government can improve and sustain the economy which will positively impact the lives of citizens.