Hoteliers decry high taxes

Operators of hotels and restaurants in the Volta Region have expressed worry over “high” taxes by the various regulatory bodies in the country.

They said players in the sector were gradually folding up because the industry had been saddled with levies as if it were a “gold mine” coupled with high utility bills.

The hoteliers at a meeting with heads of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in Ho on the yet-to-be implemented Destination Tourism Single Window (DTSW) called on government and stakeholders to help the industry grow by reducing the tax burden.

Mr Alex Boakye, Head of Quality Assurance, GTA, admitted the slow growth of the industry and said a process had been initiated to address the concerns.

Nana Twum Barimah, Head of Research, Statistics and Information, GTA, said the DTSW was a project targeted at raising standards, promoting excellence and improving services in the tourism industry.

He said the portal would streamline payments and reservations in the hospitality sector to make services easier and accessible to all.

Nana Barimah said the platform would also help in fiscal accountability of the sector and generate more revenue for development.