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jambo
3300 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Jun 2006 : 13:00:20
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The Gambia Journal (Banjul) June 13, 2006 Posted to the web June 13, 2006 The National Assembly Member for Serekunda East Constituency, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta has called for a review of the Gambia Tourism Authority Act. The member said this in dismay over the sale of two hotels without the knowledge of tourism authorities.
The discovery came when the chairman of the National Assembly's Select Committee on Tourism, Hon. Musa Sillah told the Assembly that official in both the Gambia Tourism Authority, GTA, and the Department of State for Tourism were unaware of the transfer of ownership of two hotels in the Tourism Development Area.
One of the hotels, the Senegambia hotel, is now under the ownership of one Mr. Alfred Bell, a Gambian of Lebanese descent. Palm Beach hotel used to belong to a Gambian hotelier, Mr. Ablie Mboge but is now said to be under a different ownership. Hon. Sillah and his colleagues are concerned that the interest of employees might not have been properly considered under the ownership transfer.
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molly75
United Kingdom
86 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2006 : 16:36:54
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I don't know about the employees of the palm beach not being considered when the hotel changed hands, but i know that the staff at the Senegambia were not considered when that sold. Many of the staff were sacked and the businesses who rented the shops in the hotel grounds were forced to pay more rent or leave!! The staff morale at the hotel now is very low and it is just so sad that they are treated like this. |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2006 : 19:02:40
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I had heard that Palm beach had reverted back to Gambian front man last time I was there....... It was leased by some english/south africans that only did about 6 months of what I think was a 5 year term. I think there is legal action involved.
The staff are happier with the Gambian guy incharge....but that is artly coz its more relaxed and less paper work.....
The Gambian guy is invloved at Palm beach and Badala Park. I am not sure if he owns them or just fronts them for investors from uk?
The staff at both hotels are reasonably happy. But they work very long hours, some of them 7 days a week. They are paid about £20 a MONTH, when a bag of rice costs £12.......
They all do exactly as they are told. If they dont they can be suspended for a month with no pay and no notice. They all know there are plenty of people queueing up wanting to take their place.
To me this is a very big issue. Noone should be working 7 days all hours......
Do tourists realise how little of the cost of their holiday filters through to the staff??? |
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MeMe
United Kingdom
541 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2006 : 20:46:05
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| Point taken, Gambiabev, but working in the tourist industry in any country (even here in the UK) always involves long hours, weekend shifts and pretty poor wages compared to say office work. Money brought into the country by tourism hardly ever filters down to those working in that industry ..... However, we're lucky in the UK in that we have more choice in the matter when it comes to employment, eh? |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jun 2006 : 12:02:22
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| i mentioned the situation about senegambia staff in the general discussion. it is not a good time for them. Some of the tourist do know how little goes to the locals, but we pay in europe for our flights, hotels etc. that cannot be changed. it is hard to pay for your holiday locally, but i hope tourist will use local companyies for the trips. that would help |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jun 2006 : 19:12:47
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update on the story from the pont newspaper 15th june
Senegambia Beach Hotel Boss Clarifies
Thursday 15th June 2006
Following media reports that the Senegambia Beach Hotel and the Palm Beach Hotel have been sold without the knowledge of the Department of State for Tourism and the Gambia Tourism Authority, the General Manager of the Senegambia Beach Hotel, Mr Luc Verschelden, has countered that the Senegambia Beach Hotel was jointly owned by two shareholders: a Norwegian company Salmer Sande and the Gambia government.
In view of this, there is no way the Tourism department would not be privy to matters about the Senegambia Beach hotel, he argued.
Still in the attempt to disprove the adverse claims, he also disclosed that the Permanent Secretary at the Department of State for Tourism represents Tourism Department as a member of the Board of Directors of the Senegambia Beach Hotel.
Mr Luc further said that the new shareholders have already paid a courtesy call at the Department of State for Tourism. “Journalists should always try to get the other side of their stories for clarity,” Mr Luc admonished.
the plot thickens
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