Accra, Feb. 18, GNA - Work on the five-star New Kempinski Gold Coast= City Hotel being built at the former Race Course in Accra that started in= December last year is scheduled to be completed next year.

The facility is being built by Zakhem International Limited (ZIL), a= US-based construction firm.

Mr. Neil Ashurst, Project Manager of ZIL, said this when Nii Armah Ashitey, Greater Accra Regional Minster, toured the project site on Wednesday. He said the hotel would have 260 rooms with a health spar, a world class swimming pool, a shopping mall, fitness centre and would be linked to the Ghana International Conference Centre through a walkway.

Mr. Ashurst said the hotel would create employment for Ghanaians add= ing "currently there are about 200 local workers and only four foreigners. We=

hope to employ an additional 400 local workers in the next six months". Mr. Ashurst pledged the company's collaboration with other stakehold= ers in the tourism industry, especially Ghana Tourist Board to provide qualit= y service when it starts to operate. Nii Ashitey pledged government's support to the management to comple= te the project on schedule.