Sunyani, Sept 9, GNA - Mr Martin Mireku, Executive Director of Ghana Tourist Board, has called on hoteliers, chop and drinking bar operators as well as restaurant owners to maintain clean surroundings. Addressing more than 80 hoteliers, chop, drinking bars and restaurant operators at Sunyani, he said routine inspections of hotels, restaurants, chop and drinking bars would be conducted twice a year instead of once.

He expressed the hope that the inspections would help improve conditions in the hospitality industry and appealed to hoteliers and operators outside the associations.

In an answer to a question about the granting of loans to the institutions to recondition their premises towards the celebration of Ghana's 50th independence anniversary and CAN 2008 football tournament, Mr Mireku said the government was making efforts to provide such funds.

Mr Philip Kofi Ntiamoah, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Chairman of Ghana Hoteliers Association, appealed to the government to institute an awards scheme for operators in the in the tourism industry. Mr Ntiamoah said hoteliers contributed much to the country's foreign exchange earnings and deserved national recognition. He appealed to the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations to come to the aid of hotels in the region "that are over burdened with heavy and double taxation by the Sunyani Municipal Assembly". The regional chairman cited the case of the owner of Eusbett Hotel in Sunyani who was made to 36 million cedis instead of the 2.4 million cedis he used to pay as property rate.