Delta State hoteliers decry illegal levies, incessant power outage

HOTEL owners in Warri and environ, under the aegis of the Hoteliers Association of Delta State, have expressed worries over the high electricity tariff from the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and the alleged illegal levies by local government and government agencies.

According to the chairman of the Hoteliers Association of Delta State, Chief George Owarieta, hoteliers are concerned by the high fixed electricity charges on hotels despite the group having their own
transformers.

“Many hotels are suffering gravely because of huge consumption of diesel to service their generators. This is in addition to the huge cost of servicing and overhauling these generators because of over-usage. Meanwhile the business climate has been very unstable and many hotels have been forced out of the market because of absence of customers.”

He noted that the issue of outrageous bills by the electricity distribution firms is now before the National Assembly.

In the same vein, Owarieta said illegal levies is another problem confronting hoteliers. He said the practice of local government and some government agencies appointing revenue contractors/consultants to issue and collect revenue have perpetuated a lot of illegalities in the industry.

“Different groups parading with forged government receipts cajole and intimidate some members into paying huge sums as levies or rates that are not provided by the law.”

“We would like to inform the government officials/authorities that as hoteliers, we are prepared to pay all legal and legitimate levies and rates directly to the council or designated account numbers of such government bodies, we shall however resist any attempt by individuals or government agencies who wish to fraudulently collect illegal levies from our members through established law courts as practised in any democratic state,” he said.

The hoteliers, in a meeting at the weekend, at Ishaka Hotel, Effurun, tasked the state government establish different tourist centres and attractions and to organize events periodically that will attract tourists andvisitors to the state.

The body also rued the increasing rate of cultism and act of hooliganism among youths in their operating environment, urging the security agencies to beef up security. They equally condemned the demand for registration of copyright license from their members.

The hoteliers noted that roads in Warri, Ekpan, Effurun, Udu, Ovwian and several others are decaying and need immediate attention from government.