Minister of State for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has clarified that the Hajj Village project is a purely commercial initiative by the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) and not funded by the government.
Addressing concerns about its financing and management, Kwakye Ofosu emphasized that GACL operates as a business entity and undertakes revenue-generating projects to sustain its operations.
“The Hajj Village is purely a commercial project. The Ghana Airports Company Limited saw that they have a certain clientele, so they are tailoring services to meet that clientele with the ultimate objective of making a profit and generating dividends for their shareholder, which is the government,” he explained in an interview on Citi FM on Monday, March 3.
Drawing comparisons to Terminal 3, Kwakye Ofosu highlighted GACL’s successful revenue-driven projects.
“If you go to Terminal 3, GACL invested $276 million because the government of Ghana asked them to keep all their IGF to build their balance sheet to attract funding from various financial institutions. Again, in Terminal 3, there is a place they call VIP, which is an exclusive lounge for upper-class members of society who pay an arm and a leg to access that service,” he noted.
He further justified the Hajj Village project as a strategic move to capitalize on the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
“They created that niche market to generate revenue. So, they realized that this is an annual ritual where thousands of people pass through their airport, and they should build it [the village] to charge some fees,” he added.
The clarification aims to dispel speculation that public funds were used for the facility, reinforcing that it is a business decision by GACL to enhance its financial sustainability.
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