The government has spent in excess of GH¢2.7 billion on the payment of food suppliers under the free senior high school policy between 2017 and 2022.
The amount covers the supply of 18 food items to over 700 senior high schools (SHS), technical, vocational and community development schools.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab, who made this known today (August 21), said GH¢81.1 million was paid to food suppliers in 2017; GH¢296.2 million in 2018; and GH¢441.5 million in 2019.
For 2020 and 2021, he said NAFCO paid GH¢467.9 million and GH¢692.2 million respectively, while GH¢726.6 million was paid in 2022.
Mr Abdul-Wahab added that although the government owed the food suppliers for 2022, GH¢100 million was paid on July 17, this year while another GH¢80 million had been released but yet to hit the account of the suppliers.
“In terms of percentage, I can say that 85 per cent of what we owe as arrears for 2022 has been settled. What is remaining is 15 per cent, which we are working to ensure that it is settled before the end of the month,” he said.
He was speaking at the Meet the Press series held by the Ministry of Information in Accra today (August 21).
The presentation largely focused on how far the NAFCO had gone in fulfilling its mandate of ensuring food security, promoting guarantee prices for farmers, stabilising prices of food items on the local market and promoting local consumption of grains.