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Hoteliers Association threaten legal action over unpaid African Games debts
The Ghana Hoteliers Association has unveiled its plans to investigate what they describe as threats from some of its members to sue the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for failing to pay 80 percent of the funds owed after hosting guests for the 13th African Games in Accra.
According to them, despite only receiving 20 percent of the agreed amount, the hoteliers assert that their repeated efforts to secure the remaining balance from the Ministry have been fruitless.
Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyameke, President of the Hoteliers Association, expressed his concerns about the issue in a conversation with Citi News on Sunday.
He urged the government to implement measures to fulfil its financial obligations to the service providers it engages.
“The games were organised in March, and we are now well into July. These rates were negotiated long before the games began, so one would expect that they were factored into the budgeting for the all-African games and provisions made for payment right after the event,” Ackah-Nyameke stated.
“Only 20 percent upfront payment has been made, with 80 percent still outstanding. I’m not sure if more hotels are affected beyond the 40 reported. We will have to take up this issue because it impacts the industry,” he revealed.
“Even if some hotels aren’t Association members, anything affecting hotels has wider implications, so we will start inquiries and advocate for prompt payment of these arrears,” Mr Ackah-Nyameke highlighted that this issue is not new.
He added, “Some hotels have decided not to deal with public agencies due to similar payment issues. It’s an ongoing problem. We need to find a way to address it, and hopefully, this story will prompt the agencies to meet their financial responsibilities.”
The 13th African Games this year saw over 13,000 participants, including 5,000 athletes, 3,000 technical officials, 3,000 volunteers, and 2,000 guests from 54 African countries. Many of these guests were lodged in hotels in Accra.
The LOC and the Ministry of Youth and Sports had negotiated rates with the hoteliers before the games. Over 40 hoteliers report that the Ministry made an upfront payment of only 20%, with a commitment to pay the remaining 80% immediately after the games concluded on March 23.
However, the Ministry has yet to clear its outstanding debt.
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
The Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh, has expressed concern over delays in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund, warning that the situation is stalling development across the country.
On his facebook page, he described as a matter of urgent national importance, the Minority Chief Whip pointed to what he sees as a growing crisis of unpaid contractors, abandoned projects, and halted infrastructure works in many districts.
He noted that several communities are grappling with half completed schools, unfinished health facilities, abandoned markets, deteriorating roads, and stalled sanitation projects.
According to him, many contractors who have executed projects for district assemblies have not been paid, forcing some construction firms to demobilise from sites while workers lose their jobs.
He stressed that the District Assemblies Common Fund is not a discretionary allocation but a constitutional requirement under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution, intended to support development at the local level.
In his view, years of delayed releases and accumulated arrears have weakened district development financing and disrupted projects meant to improve living conditions in communities.
He further argued that some payments made in recent years were largely the settlement of old debts rather than funding for new or ongoing projects, a situation he believes has affected contractor confidence and local economic activity.
He described the issue as more than a budgetary challenge, characterising it as a development emergency and a governance concern.
He therefore urged the appropriate authorities to pay outstanding DACF arrears, settle contractors who have completed their work, and ensure that transfers to districts are automatic and predictable.
He maintained that decentralisation can only succeed when district assemblies receive adequate and timely funding to carry out development projects.
He emphasised that stalled projects directly affect ordinary citizens, since they rely on such infrastructure for education, healthcare, transportation, sanitation, and economic activities.
He called for renewed attention to grassroots development, insisting that national progress should not be concentrated only in major cities but extended to all communities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
