The Eastern regional office of the Ghana Tourism Authority, GTA, is chasing chop bar operators in the Region to regularize their operations with the authority.
According to the authority, the chop bar operation falls within the regulatory purview of GTA as part of its tourism ecosystem, therefore, mandated to license such facilities to meet acceptable standards.
Bertha Narkuor Appeynarh who is the Deputy Director in charge of Hospitality at GTA said operators must come to the GTA office to apply for a license and renew the same to avoid closure.
On the other hand, she urged owners and operators of Hotels, Hostels, Restaurants, and Chop bars to immediately come to the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) office to regularize their facilities to acquire the needed permit for their operations.
Adding that without the GTA’s permit such facilities will be closed and will not be allowed to operate.
She also urged customers to ask for licenses anytime they want to patronize services of hotels, restaurants, hostels, and chop bars to confirm that such facilities meet the standards of the GTA before they patronize such facilities.
She commented on a reinforcement exercise by the Eastern Regional branch of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in which some 25 hospitality facilities including chop bars, hotels, hostels, and Guest Houses have been earmarked for closure for various regulatory infractions.
Frederick Agyei Rudolph, who is the Eastern Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) revealed that the reinforcement exercise began in Kwahu this year and it is being continued in Koforidua whereby it has targeted to close down 25 facilities that are operating without the GTA’s license permit, as part of measures to ensure compliance to the standards of the GTA laws.
He said the facilities that will be closed are those without the license at all, those who have started their registration but have not completed it, and those who have been licensed but have failed to renew their license.
He explained further that facility owners and operators who fail to comply with the directives spelled out by the GTA shall face the full rigors of the law.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
