A hotelier in the Greater Accra Region, Nana Yaw, has highlighted challenges hoteliers are having to confront in running their hotels, including many taxes.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Nana Yaw said hotel managers are burdened with numerous taxes and fees that are gradually suffocating their businesses.

“We are in a situation where as hotels we have always talked about some of these bodies consolidating some of the bills they bring to us. For instance, the assembly is taking business operating permits, signboard fees, property rates, and renewal of certificates.

“That is not all, then you have people from the Environmental Health, Food and Drugs Authority, and Fire Service, others coming for their fees as well, before, you attend to Ghana Tourism Levy and TV licence,” he listed.

Nana Yaw also shed light on the detrimental effects of the ailing economy on his business and according to him, the cedi depreciation coupled with the high rate of inflation has made running his hotel nearly impossible.

“Electricity bills are so huge. Over the last year or two electricity bill has doubled. I was paying GH₵1,000 for water about two years ago, now I pay GH₵8,000. The price of the chlorine tablets that I use for treating my pool has doubled.

“The bedsheets, towels and curtains are all imported and because of the situation with the currency, the prices have all doubled,” he told Kojo Yankson on the programme.

On the back of this, Nana Yaw noted that hoteliers have been forced to increase their charges in order to stay in business.