The leadership of the National Food Suppliers Association has stated that members of the Association are not prepared to accept part payment of arrears owed them by the Government since 2022.
Members of the National Food Suppliers Association embarked on a picketing at the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to demand payment of 270 million cedis owed them.
They have pitched camp at the premises of the Buffer Stock Company since last Tuesday to register their frustrations.
However, on Friday, July 7,2023, the picketers put an end to their demonstration after the Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong assured them of payment.
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In a latest development, the National Food Suppliers Association made it known that the leadership of the Association met with the Minister of Education, Hon. Adu Twum on the 11th of July, 2023, at the Ministry of Education to discuss the indebtedness of the National Food Buffer Stock Company to the members of National Food Suppliers Association.
According to them, the Minister of Education said he released a total amount of Four Hundred and Eighteen Million Ghana Cedis (Ghc 418,000,000) to the National Food Buffer Stock Company between the periods of 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The Association explained that the money was released at One Hundred Million Ghana Cedis (Ghc 100, 000,000), Two Hundred and Eighty Three Million Ghana Cedis (283,000,000) and Thirty Five Million Ghana Cedis (Ghc 35, 000,000)) respectively.
However, the Association said even though the Minister asserts to have released an amount of Ghc 283 000,000 in 2022 to the Buffer Stock Company for payment of arrears in 2022, members of the National Suppliers Association are yet to receive a penny of the said amount.
“The Hon. Minister intimated to the executives of the National Food Suppliers Association that, in January 2023, the amount paid ( Ghc 35, 000,000) was the remaining balance of the 2022 arrears owed to the National Food Suppliers Association.,” it stated.
The Association said the Minister pledged that the Ministry of Finance was in the process of releasing part of our arrears this week and that the government was not in the position to pay their arrears in full.
In response, the Association said,”We wish to state that, we are not prepared to accept part payment of the 2022 arrears, given the fact that individual members have accumulated interests on their loans contracted from their respective banks.”
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