Samuel Kallon 
By Ragan M Conteh
About 39 beach bars are to be demolished along the Lumley-Aberdeen beach in Freetown.
It is believed that foreign investors, tourists are allocated some portions of land along the Lumley and Aberdeen road to construct beach bars.
Many say they pay millions to acquire the land and they have invested millions of Leones just to boost their business along the beach.
In parliament many have asked MPs to ask beach bar owners to be paying money to the National Tourist Boars as tax obligations.
In a press conference held on Tuesday, the General Manager of the National Tourist Board Fatmata M.H. Carew revealed that there are 39 more beach bars to be demolished at the Lumley and Aberdeen beaches.
According to Carew, those Beach bars had failed to comply with polices and guidelines being set up by the board.
The GM Carew said this so to avoid environmental degradation, assuring that they have sent notification letters to the 39 bar owners.
And the said beach-bars are listed for the second phase of demolition.
Madam Carew affirmed that disorganized structures are built in front of the beach-view, which limit the country’s scope to serve as an “international destination for tourists”.
She said that the demolition would be extended to other prominent beaches in the country, adding that 30 structures had already been demolished on the beach area in order for bar owners to align their opertions with international best practices.
She disclosed that, “our beaches have faced national and international criticisms owing to their disorganised structures.”
He emphased that the Lumley-Aberdeen beach are out of recycling standards as they are unavoidably plagued by garbage.
“Most of the owners of the beach-bars had been given allocations to temporarily erect their structures. Giving them an allocation to build their structures at the beach area that does not mean the land has been given to them.”
“ It’s clearly stated in the beach-guideline policy that anytime the government deems it necessary to use the land, it will take back the land,” she noted.
She said there are clauses in their agreement arguing that they authorised beach-bar owners to build wooden temporary structures in front of the beach and she said most of the beach-bar owners have violated the guidelines that were given to them.
It was unraveled that most of the beach-bar owners or property owners had been paying yearly taxes to the government of Sierra Leone And for meeting ths condition, some bar owners are claiming that the said decision to demolish their bars was untimely and detrimental to their livelihoods.
Madam Carew emphatically assured MPs that they would continue to demolish structures that do not adhere to the beach-guidelines and policies.
“The Lumley-Aberdeen beach is an iconic, tourist attraction which plays a homage to thousands of tourists during festive seasons,” she asserted.
Madam Carew underscored the relevance of maintaining beach-clean up exercises.
She confirmed that they had held several meetings with property owners before the decision was finally made to demolish their structures.
