The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has explained that its decision to seek the removal of unauthorised occupants and activities from the beachfronts adjoining the Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel was aimed at protecting the properties and investments of Ghanaian workers and pensioners.
In a statement issued by its Board of Trustees on Friday, October 2, 2026, SSNIT said it had sought the urgent intervention of the National Security Council Secretariat to address what it described as persistent unlawful occupation, encroachment and unauthorised activities on the beachfront adjoining and directly in front of the two hotels.
The Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel form part of SSNIT’s investment portfolio and are regarded by the Trust as significant national hospitality and tourism assets.
SSNIT said it therefore had a fiduciary responsibility to safeguard the properties, preserve their value and ensure that they continue to generate sustainable returns for contributors and pensioners under Ghana’s Basic National Social Security Scheme.
“These assets belong to the workers and pensioners of Ghana,” the statement stressed.
According to SSNIT, the continued encroachment on the beachfronts had created a number of risks to the operations of the hotels, their guests and the surrounding environment.
The Trust identified safety and security concerns among the key issues, saying the presence of unauthorised occupants created potential threats to hotel guests, employees, service providers and visitors.
It also raised concerns about unauthorised access and the proximity of activities on the beachfront to sensitive guest and operational areas of the hotels.
SSNIT further cited increased exposure to fire, sanitation, environmental and public-health hazards as some of the consequences of the continued occupation.
The Trust said the situation was also contributing to the deterioration of the beachfront environment, affecting the privacy and service standards expected of internationally recognised hospitality facilities.
Beyond the direct impact on hotel operations, SSNIT said construction activities on the beachfront and beach sand were contributing to the degradation of the coastal ecosystem.
The Trust expressed concern that continued development and occupation of the affected areas could cause further environmental damage and make the restoration of the beachfront more difficult.
It also warned of potential reputational damage to the two hotels, SSNIT and Ghana’s tourism industry if the situation was allowed to persist.
According to the statement, the encroachments had the potential to disrupt hotel operations and negatively affect the beach experience of guests, with possible consequences for patronage, revenue and the overall financial performance of the hotels.
SSNIT also warned that allowing the situation to continue could encourage further expansion of the encroachments, potentially making the recovery of the affected lands increasingly difficult and costly.
Against this backdrop, SSNIT said it requested the intervention of the National Security Council Secretariat to help protect the properties and assets entrusted to it on behalf of Ghanaian workers and pensioners.
The Trust said the intervention is necessary to safeguard the investments and ensure that the properties continue to serve their intended economic and social purpose.
SSNIT emphasised that its action was not intended to permanently prevent the public from accessing the beaches.
Instead, it said the affected beachfronts would be cleaned and restored to a safe and desirable condition.
“The beaches will be cleaned and restored to a safe and desirable state and will remain open to the public,” SSNIT said.
The development follows the removal of unauthorised occupants and structures from parts of the beachfront around the Labadi area, an exercise that has generated public discussion over access to the coastline, the impact on businesses and the protection of beachfront properties.
SSNIT’s latest clarification places the exercise within its broader responsibility to protect the value of its investment portfolio and ensure that assets acquired for the benefit of contributors and pensioners are not compromised by unlawful occupation or encroachment.
By 1960news.com
