The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has announced that the National Food Suppliers Association will be paid on Monday, July 17, 2023.
According to him, they are working assiduously with the Ministry of Finance to have their two-year arrears paid.
The Minister’s comment comes after members of the National Food Suppliers Association picketed at the premises to demand an amount of GH¢270 million owed to them by government.
The suppliers, who travelled from all regions across the country, say that since 2021, government has not paid them for food that they supplied to Senior High Schools across the country.
Since Tuesday, July 4, the suppliers have been spending their nights at the premises of the Buffer Stock Company, insisting that they will not leave until the government pays them their monies in full.
But speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Friday, Mr Acheampong said the issue could have been avoided.
He noted that, they have resolved the issue and the food suppliers have agreed to return home and wait for payment.
“We recognised the challenge, we appreciate the issue and we have found solution,” the Agric Minister stated.
Mr Acheampong, however, bemoaned how some people want to play politics with the emotions of people just to create disaffection for the government.
“It is true that government owes food suppliers but the political spectacle to it is unnecessary,” he added.