The Ghana Hotels Association (GHA) has revealed that several of its members are currently forced to import fish to prepare meals for their guests.
According to the Association, many guests—particularly expatriates—refuse to consume locally caught fish due to health concerns.
Speaking in an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, the Second Vice President of the Association, Benjamin Afunya, explained that the destructive impact of illegal mining on local water bodies has severely affected the hospitality sector. He noted that hotel managers often have to reassure guests that the fish served in their establishments is imported.
“We import fish from abroad and that is costing us a lot. The reason is that the guests who book our facilities don’t want to eat fish from Ghana. So we have to convince them that the fish we give them are imported. Even with the stabilisation of the cedi against the dollar, importing these items is expensive,” he stated.
Mr Afunya further disclosed that the majority of vegetables used by these high-end hotels are also imported, as the Ghanaian market consistently fails to satisfy their specific operational demands.
“Are you aware that the vegetables we use in our hotels are imported from abroad? The Ghanaian market is unable to meet our demand and so we are forced to import the vegetables from abroad. We had even thought the government would have included us when it launched the Planting for Food and Jobs, but that did not happen. We are not able to produce the size or type of vegetables we need,” he added.
Responding to public concerns regarding the steep prices charged by hotels across the country, the Second Vice President admitted that accommodation and dining rates are high.
However, he defended the pricing, citing excessive levies, fees, taxes, regulatory charges, and heavy maintenance costs as the primary drivers.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
