Ablakwa Invokes RTI In SSNIT Battle
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has invoked the Right to Information (RTI) law to force information out of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) about the bidding of Rock City Hotel for 60% of some of their hotels.
The lawmaker in an RTI filed on Monday, June 24, 2024, requested evidence that the Rock City Hotel Limited- a hotel owned by the Minister for Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong- met the Income Tax requirement and conditions set in its advertisement of the divestiture.
According to him, the request has become necessary “considering that Rock City’s record at GRA which is now available to me controvertibly confirms that Rock City did not file its annual tax returns in the fiscal years of 2021 and 2022.”
“Indeed, Rock City’s attempt to file their annual tax returns for the years in issue were carried out belatedly in 2023 and 2024 respectively, long after SSNIT advertised deadline of 23rd March 2022. The unimpeachable records also show that Rock City was fined an amount of GHS4,390.00 by GRA as a penalty for filing the 2022 tax returns two years late, that is, on May 23, 2024.”
He also requested a copy of the tender evaluation report on the sale of SSNIT’s 60% shares in the six hotels and minutes of the evaluation committee meeting.
The lawmaker has been lurking in the shadow of SSNIT and Bryan Acheampong following the latter’s move to buy stakes in the Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel and Elmina Beach Resort.
Together with some stakeholders, he staged a protest to demand the immediate halting of the sale process last week.
His unquenchable quest to stop it has led him to dig some documents allegedly making damning revelations against some associates of the government.
One of these documents he calls incontrovertible claims Rock City is bedevilled with constant losses and argues that they cannot be handed a profitable state asset like Labadi Beach Hotel which posted profits of GHS158 million for 2023, paid dividends of some GHS25 million last year to the government, and has cash reserves in excess of GHS8 million in 5 bank accounts.
Additionally, he claims that some sons of the former National Chairman of the NPP, Freddy Blay have taken over the beachfront of the Labadi Beach Hotel.
They have all denied the allegations, nonetheless.
