The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) says the redevelopment of the beachfront adjoining Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach is intended to transform the area into a properly planned tourism destination while creating wider economic opportunities for the surrounding community.

“Creating a better organised tourism environment is not simply about taking away people’s livelihoods. It is about creating an enclave that can generate more sustainable and wider economic opportunities for the surrounding community,” SSNIT said.

The Trust said the recent clearance of unauthorised structures marked the beginning of a broader redevelopment effort aimed at positioning the beachfront as a major tourism and hospitality destination.

SSNIT said young people from Labadi and neighbouring communities would be considered for employment opportunities arising from the development and subsequent operations of the enclave, subject to relevant recruitment requirements.

“The redevelopment is expected to create opportunities in construction, hospitality, tourism, food services, entertainment, security, cleaning, maintenance, transportation and various related activities,” it said.

The Trust also stressed that the properties being protected and redeveloped form part of its investment portfolio, which ultimately belongs to workers and pensioners whose contributions underpin the Scheme.

“These assets belong to the workers and pensioners whose contributions form the foundation of the Scheme,” SSNIT said, adding that its responsibility was to ensure that they were “properly protected, managed and developed” to generate sustainable returns for members.

SSNIT said it would continue engaging the Chiefs, traditional authorities, community leaders and residents of Labadi throughout the redevelopment process.

“The success of the redevelopment will depend, in part, on meaningful engagement with the people who live and work in the area,” the Trust said, adding that the engagements would help identify opportunities for local participation and ensure the community understood how it could benefit.

The redevelopment of the beachfront is expected to commence this month, with SSNIT emphasising that the beach will remain open to the public.

“The beachfront will remain a public beach,” the Trust said, noting that the project would focus on restoring the area into a cleaner, safer and properly managed environment, with attention to sanitation, environmental management, security, accessibility and the overall visitor experience.

“For SSNIT, the ultimate objective is to transform the area into an asset that works better for Ghana — for visitors, the surrounding community, the tourism industry and, importantly, for members whose contributions underpin the Scheme,” the Trust said.