Dr. Agnes Adu
TENANTS AT the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre as at August 2017 were indebted to the company to the tune of Gh¢ 2 million.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Trade Fair Centre, Dr. Agnes Adu, made this known on Thursday, May 30, at the Information Ministry’s media briefing in Accra.
According to her, some tenants were owing amounts ranging from Gh¢ 50,000 and Gh¢ 60,000.
She stated that even though such amounts were owed the Trade Fair Centre, as at 2015, electricity connection to the Centre had to be cut because it could not pay its electricity bills.
Also, water supply to the Trade Fair Centre was cut in 2015 due to nonpayment of bills.
Upon assuming office in August 2017, she said it was observed that only two out of over 200 tenants had valid tenancy agreements with the Trade Fair Centre, meaning the rest were operating ‘illegally’ and not paying rents.
As a result, she stated she was forced to set a 90-day timeline to ensure the collection of monies owed the company.
So far, she said, the Trade Fair Centre has managed to collect Gh¢ 800,000 from its debtors.
Dr. Adu blamed then managers of Trade Fair Centre under the former President John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government for not being in control of affairs.
She indicated that the Centre was being grossly mismanaged, with the tenants allowed to operate as they liked.
BY Melvin Tarlue