By The government has allocated GH¢150 million to the Ministry of Education to settle the outstanding arrears owed to the National Food Suppliers Association.
Spokesperson for the National Food Suppliers Association, Kwaku Amedome, confirmed the disbursement on an Accra-based FM station on Thursday.
This action follows weeks of the Association’s threat to picket at the Finance Ministry if their demands were not addressed.
Mr. Amedome expressed gratitude to the government for responding promptly to their plea and emphasized the significance of this disbursement in alleviating the financial strain faced by the association’s members.
“We are grateful to the government for releasing the funds to settle our arrears. It will remove a lot of burden from us. This will not only enable us to repay our debts but also enhance our economic activities and support the successful implementation of free SHS,” Mr. Amedome said.
He recommended a stakeholder meeting to ensure equitable distribution of the funds among all food suppliers.
“They should share the money equally and not give it to a selected few. A stakeholder meeting should be held on how to share the money fairly” he added.
Background.
In March, the National Food Suppliers Association issued a two-week ultimatum to the Ministry of Education to settle a debt of two hundred million cedis owed to them.
The suppliers threatened to picket if the Ministry failed to comply with their demand. Kwame Amedume, spokesperson for the National Food Suppliers Association, revealed that out of the agreed 180 million cedis to be paid, only 10 million cedis had been released by the Ministry to the National Food Buffer Stock Company.
He warned of potential food shortages in various Senior High Schools if the suppliers were not paid promptly.
