Introduction
(a) The clearance of unauthorised structures from the beachfront adjoining Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach marks the beginning of a broader effort to protect and redevelop the enclave into a properly planned tourism and hospitality destination that generates more sustainable economic opportunities.
(b) The move is expected to position the beachfront of the two hotels as one of Ghana’s key tourism destinations and a potential tourism hub in West Africa.
- Creating opportunities, not taking away livelihoods
(a) The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) recognises that people have built businesses and livelihoods around the beachfront over the years.
(b) The demolition exercise should not be viewed simply as taking away people’s means of livelihood. Rather, the objective is to create a better organised tourism environment capable of generating more sustainable and wider economic opportunities for the surrounding community.
(c) As the redevelopment takes shape, young people from Labadi and surrounding communities will be considered for employment opportunities created through the development and subsequent operations of the enclave, subject to the relevant recruitment requirements.
(d) The redevelopment is expected to create opportunities in sectors including construction, hospitality, tourism, food services, entertainment, security, cleaning, maintenance, transportation and various related activities.
- Protecting interests of workers, pensioners
(a) The assets being protected and redeveloped are ultimately part of SSNIT’s investment portfolio. They belong to the workers and pensioners whose contributions form the foundation of the Scheme.
(b) The Trust’s responsibility is to ensure that these assets are properly protected, managed and developed so that they can generate sustainable returns for the benefit of Members.
(c) The redevelopment of the enclave is intended to serve both a tourism and an investment purpose: creating a destination that contributes to Ghana’s tourism economy while enhancing the value of an important SSNIT investment asset.
- Working with Labadi community
(a) SSNIT recognises that the success of the redevelopment will depend, in part, on meaningful engagement with the people who live and work in the area.
The Trust will continue to engage the Chiefs, traditional authorities, community leaders and people of Labadi throughout the various stages of the redevelopment process.
(b) These engagements will provide an opportunity to share information about the plans, listen to concerns, identify opportunities for local participation and ensure that the surrounding community understands and can benefit from the development.
- Restoring the beachfront
(a) The redevelopment of the beachfront is expected to commence this month and it will remain a public beach.
(b) An important part of the exercise is also to restore the beachfront to a cleaner, safer and properly managed environment. The intention is to create an enclave that is attractive to visitors while maintaining the beach as a place that can be enjoyed by the public.
(c) The redevelopment will be undertaken with attention to environmental management, sanitation, 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, for the tourism industry and importantly, for Members whose contributions underpin the Scheme.
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