The Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Kwasi Afreh-Biney, has defended the recent demolition exercise at the beachfront near La Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, assuring that plans are underway to redevelop the area before the Christmas festivities.
The demolition has sparked concerns over the livelihoods of hundreds of people, including traders, food vendors and other entrepreneurs who operated in the area.
However, Afreh-Biney explained that the exercise forms part of a broader redevelopment plan aimed at giving the area a facelift while creating opportunities for affected workers and business operators.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme, the SSNIT Director-General said a committee had been established to oversee aspects of the redevelopment, including measures to mitigate the impact of the demolition on those whose livelihoods have been affected.
He stressed that the authorities were considering ways to accommodate displaced workers and entrepreneurs in the new development.
“For the employees, we start with the two hotels. Now, as they develop some of the new blueprints that are coming up, once we have the data, it is important for us to absorb these people to mitigate the impact,” he said.
Afreh-Biney explained that the redevelopment would also create employment opportunities through new projects being planned as part of a broader strategy to position Accra as a major business and innovation hub in West Africa.
He disclosed that SSNIT would soon announce plans for a new centre to be located at the La Trade Fair Site, adding that the initiative could provide further employment opportunities for some of the affected workers.
According to him, once the necessary data on displaced workers are compiled, efforts would be made to identify those who could be absorbed into the new projects.
Beyond formal employment, the SSNIT boss said the redevelopment plan would also make provision for traders and small-scale entrepreneurs, including kelewele sellers, food vendors and those dealing in local artefacts.
He noted that the design process was being undertaken in collaboration with traditional and local authorities to ensure that the needs of affected businesses were considered.
“As we are redesigning how we believe, working together with the traditional authorities and the local authorities, how can we provide for the kelewele seller who was there, for the young seller who was there?” he asked.
Afreh-Biney added that the proposed development would feature spaces for an African market, Ghanaian food vendors and traders dealing in artefacts.
He explained that, rather than focusing solely on financial compensation, the intention was to ensure that affected entrepreneurs received fair opportunities to secure spaces within the new development.
The Director-General further disclosed that the immediate priority was to clear the demolition debris, restore the entrance and exit points, and provide public washrooms at strategic locations.
He said the initial phase was expected to be completed in time for Christmas, when the area traditionally attracts large numbers of visitors and offers business opportunities to traders.
“Once we start clearing the debris, once the debris are cleared, immediately the first point is to do the entrance and then provide washrooms at vantage points,” he stated.
He added that the authorities were working within a tight timeline to ensure the entrance, exit and sanitation facilities were ready before the festive season, allowing people to return to the area and earn a living.
Meanwhile, when asked whether the demolition could expose SSNIT or the government to a possible judgment debt, Afreh-Biney declined to comment in detail, saying the matter was best addressed by legal practitioners.
“Those are conversations I’ll prefer lawyers to touch,” he said.
The planned redevelopment is expected to transform the La beachfront area, although questions remain about how displaced traders and other affected businesses will be accommodated and how their livelihoods will be protected during the transition.
By Gifty Boateng