As part of their oversight functions, the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Chaired by Hon. Mohamed Sheriff Rahman-Coker, has been probing hotels and guest houses on management and compliance procedures.
This happened on Wednesday 31 July, 2024.
A special interrogation was done at the Conference Room of Parliament’s New Building at Tower Hill in Freetown.
The Committee Members assessed certificate of registration by hotels authorized by the National Tourist Board, hotels’ minimum wage salary to workers, and a look into the recent audit report, and enquiries on waste management, corporate social responsibility (CSR), hotels’ relationship with their communities, payment for staff contributions to National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), Environmental Impact Assessment licenses, staff welfare , Pay as you earned (PAYE) to government, working permits amongst others.
It was observed that the View Hotel at Freetown City Council had been following compliance with all requirements but could not present environment impact assessment (EIA) license.
Mozak Resort was said to have been doing Corporate Social Responsibility activities to York community and most of their workers are community residents.
A representative told the Committee that the heavy taxation from Government is their challenge.
Sellieu Babatel Hotel is not currently operating owing to challenges, but it is currently under renovation, authorities have found out.
According to an official witness account, the hotel would operate in the next month.
Medrie International Hotel at Lumely Beach is found to have lacked most of documents on compliance and CSR.
Malador Real Estate has not commenced operation, but with the vision to establish real estate, a report indicated, adding it is a new business that has obtained registration.
Sweet Mother Guest House did not present NASSIT contributions for its staff members for 2024, no PAYE, no staff list at the time of appearance.
Franco Diving Center at Sussex operating hotel and guest house controlled their waste, employed community residents started operation in 1994, support pupils and maintain roads to their facility.
They are envisaging electricity challenges, water and bad road network in the community.
The Place Guest did not produce proper documentation, and registration license shown was not appropriate and so the Committee observed that this guest house had been operating illegally.
Dupsal Resorts did not produce essential documents and was stood down for further scrutiny.
The Committee discovered that Sky Inn Motel was unable to produce some documentation available for questioning.
The Committee ordered the manager or proprietor to appear on Monday excepting the junior staff that represented them.
The Committee observed that proprietor/proprietress and senior management are indulged in the habits of sending junior staff members to represent them for Committee’s probing.
Key challenges affecting the businesses according to the official witness account include electricity, waste management, heavy taxation by the Government, inadequate water supply, bad road network amongst others.