Bo City Hotel Owners welcome Parliament
The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Tourism and Cultural Affairs headed by Hon. Gladys Gbappy Brima Gbemoh in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs through the National Tourist Board (NTB) has from Wednesday 8th– 12th July 2017 commenced an Oversight visit to the Southern province at the Sahara hotel, in Bo city. (Photo: Chairperson Hon. Gladys GB Gbemoh, Members and proprietor of Shara hotel on the high table)
In her statement, the Chairperson intimated that the visit was gearing towards monitoring the development of various tourist establishments to meet required criteria with expected high quality standard service delivery.
She said that the Committee will further look into registration of establishment and documentary proof of management towards compliance of government policies on the welfare of workers including minimum wage, NASSIT contribution, and NRA PAYEE, legal registration, and labor requirement on residential and work permit among others.
During the inspection, the Chairperson also commended hotel owners for complementing government efforts through the creation of job employment for young people adding that successes and challenges are also expected to for which recommendations will be proffered for a holistic approach adding that the oversight visit is not to witch hunt but to perform their constitutional mandate to legislate, monitor, and supervise every hotel establishment under her purview, she concluded.
In his statement, Classification and Quality Control Manager from NTB, Ibrahim Turay commended hotel owners for transforming the sector over the years.
Turay also disclosed plans to promote and establish local tourism industry to enhance the smooth running of hotels with adequate training for the socio-economic development of the tourism sector. He explained various types of methods of seeking duty wavers for hotel establishments.
He encouraged hotel owners to establish a formidable union that can speak towards addressing and minimizing the problems affecting the development of all hotel establishments across the country.
Responding to the Committee; hotel owners expressed gratitude and appealed to the Committee and tourism board to consider items of duty free concession in ensuring that proper modalities are put in place to address the multifarious challenges they faced.
Several contributions, suggestions, comments as well as recommendations were made by Members of Parliament (MP’s) in order to create more significant impact to maintain good and cordial relationship with the Committee.
The Clerk of Committee, Abdul B. Sannoh administered the Oath of affirmation and reproduction of documents for MP’s to do their work pursuant to Section 93 Sub-sections 1,2,3,4 and 5 of Act No: 6 of 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone. This was done to provide documents or evidence of status reports on their respective establishments based upon the policy objective of government under her current leadership.
By: Mohamed Y. Turay
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