The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has called on restaurant, catering and food joint operators to stop imposing service charges on customers, emphasising that such charges are not required under Ghanaian law.
Mr Ekow Sampson, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Operations at the GTA, warned that illegal or poorly communicated charges could undermine consumer trust and damage Ghana’s tourism brand.
He urged operators to respect customer rights by ensuring that all prices, taxes and levies are clearly disclosed on bills.
Mr Sampson made the appeal at a stakeholder engagement with restaurant, catering and food joint operators in Accra on Thursday.
He said the meeting was intended to foster dialogue, understand industry concerns and find practical solutions within the country’s legal and regulatory framework, rather than to reprimand operators.
He explained that where establishments chose to apply service charges, these must not be portrayed as statutory taxes.
Instead, they should be treated as optional staff contributions or tips, clearly communicated to customers and agreed to at the point of purchase.
“Let me state clearly that service charges are not prescribed by Ghanaian law. There is no statute that mandates restaurants or food outlets to apply a specific service charge on customers’ bills,” Mr Sampson said.
According to him, any service charge imposed by an establishment is a discretionary business decision and not a government levy.
He stressed that customers are legally obliged to pay only menu prices and statutory taxes approved by law, cautioning that undisclosed or compulsory extra charges could amount to unfair trade practices.
Mr Sampson reiterated that the GTA, established under the Tourism Act, 2011 (Act 817), regulates tourism enterprises, including restaurants, catering services, food joints and entertainment facilities under the Tourism (Registration and Licensing of Food, Beverages and Entertainment) Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2238).
On statutory taxes, he outlined legally mandated levies, including Value Added Tax (VAT) at 15 percent, the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) at 2.5 percent, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) levy at 2.5 percent, and the one percent Tourism Levy under the Tourism Act and its accompanying regulations.
“These are legal obligations that must be charged, properly accounted for and remitted by registered operators. They are backed by the laws of Ghana and administered by the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ghana Tourism Authority,” he said.
While acknowledging that taxes and levies could affect price competitiveness, Mr Sampson noted that they are vital for national development, supporting public services, health, education and tourism promotion initiatives such as “December in Ghana.”
He stressed that strict compliance with the law is essential to maintaining Ghana’s reputation as a transparent and trusted destination, warning that the Authority would not tolerate practices that coerce or intimidate customers into paying non-official fees.
“The GTA will not countenance any practices that harm our brand or undermine the trust tourists place in us,” he said.
Mr Ben Anane Nsiah, Deputy CEO in charge of General Services, also highlighted the hospitality sector’s importance within Ghana’s tourism value chain, describing tourism as a key pillar of the country’s socio-economic development strategy.
He noted that although Ghana recorded about 1.3 million international arrivals last year, growth was slowing amid increasing competition from other West African destinations.
“We should be careful not to introduce unnecessary barriers that make Ghana unattractive to price-sensitive visitors,” he said, citing high visa fees, airfares and hidden charges as factors that could discourage tourists.
Mr Nsiah warned that compulsory or poorly explained service charges could negatively shape customer perceptions, particularly in the age of social media, where negative experiences can quickly harm a destination’s image.
He encouraged operators to build a strong service culture that promotes voluntary tipping through quality service rather than compulsory charges, and called for greater collaboration to deliver a consistent, fair and welcoming hospitality experience nationwide.
“Our national ambition is to reach two million international arrivals, and that will only happen if we work together and align our practices with the bigger picture,” he said.
