Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif has confirmed that the Ghanaian government still owes half the hotel bills incurred while hosting the African Games.
Addressing the media at a press conference on July 26, Minister Ussif responded to reports indicating that the Ministry of Youth and Sports had outstanding payments to over 48 hotels. He clarified that the situation involved 44 hotels contracted for the event, with 16 fully paid and 28 still awaiting full settlement.
Points:
Outstanding Payments: Minister Ussif confirmed that while 16 hotels have received their total payments, the remaining 28 are still owed money. However, he assured us that these hotels have already received over 40% of their due payments.
Payment Progress: The Ministry is actively working to settle the remaining balances. Some hotels have already collected cheques from the Ministry, and ongoing communication is in place to ensure the outstanding amounts are cleared as soon as possible.
Event Context: The African Games were initially scheduled for 2023 but were postponed to 2024 due to delays in completing critical facilities like the Borteyman Sports Complex and the University of Ghana Stadium.
Performance: Despite the challenges, Ghana achieved a commendable result in the Games, securing 69 medals. Egypt led the medal tally with 193 medals.
Minister Ussif emphasized that the Ministry is committed to resolving the outstanding payments and appreciates the patience of the affected hotels.
