The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the National Tourist Board have reopened another window of payment to cater for the registered tourism workers who could not make it at the time of the just concluded nationwide disbursement under the Safety Net Support.
The Ministry climaxed the disbursement of Safety Net Support launched by President Julius Maada Bio to employees in the tourism and hospitality sectors in the four regions in Sierra Leone including Kenema, Bo, Makeni and Port Loko last week.
The new window of disbursement exercise which commenced last Saturday 29th August 2020 at the Ministry of Tourism Conference Hall deals mainly with registered tourism and hospitality sectors workers with names having typographical errors, absentees, among others, during the concluded nationwide disbursement.
Director of Tourism in the Ministry, Mohamed Jalloh disclosed that no new registration of tourism workers has been done; only previously registered employees who had been left out for further clarification of documentations.
He dilated on the transparency and smooth running of the verification and payment exercise to registered beneficiaries with the presence of representatives from NCRA, Anti- Corruption Commission, Ministry of Finance, Auditors, National Tourist Board and the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs.
Alhassan George, staff of Raza Guest House, Aberdeen Road expressed gratitude to the government for its timely intervention to support them amidst the covid-19 pandemic in the country and globally.`
Bashiru Daramy staff Samsung Restaurant and Guest House, Peninsula Makeni expressed similar sentiment to the government and pointed out the constraints they have been facing since the pandemic outbreak.
Isatu Kabia, staff of Tourism is Life Guest House commended the government for the support and explained how the pandemic seriously affected the tourism and hospitality sectors.
The new disbursement exercise caters for the registered employees nationwide working within the categories of hotels, guest houses, night clubs, restaurants, bars, travel agencies, local tour operating companies, sea transportation and tour guiding.
The ongoing disbursement of Le1.8M pay package to each verified and registered affected employee in the tourism and hospitality sectors targets 2,363 beneficiaries for the safety net support amounting to Le4,883, 840, 000,000.
CREDIT: SATELLITE NEWS
