The National Food Suppliers Association has given a 14-day ultimatum for the payment of all arrears for both 2022 and 2023.
In a statement signed by the spokesperson of the association, Kwaku Amedume advised the Minister for Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong to fulfill his promise to pay the rest of the debt owed them by August 17, 2023.
“However, we are struggling to come to terms with how the Ministry of Education is currently disbursing the 2023 arrears to ONLY those who have supplied foodstuffs for the period through Commodity Exchange to the neglect of our members who had also supplied foodstuffs since January 2023, through the National Food Buffer Stock Company.
“We are reliably informed that the 2023 arrears owed to suppliers have been released to the Ministry of Education for disbursement, but only those who have supplied through Commodity Exchange are the people being paid and our members who did their supply through National Food Buffer Stock Company are left to their fate.”
The Association threatened to take necessary actions should government not heed their request.
“We wish to humbly remind the Minister of Education, that, we have all worked for the government, whether through Commodity Exchange or National Buffer Stock Company and we all desire and deserve to be treated equally.
“We are, by this release, serving notice and notice is hereby served to the Ministry of Education and National Food Buffer Stock Company that, if we do not receive all our arrears for both 2022 and 2023 within 14 days after this notice, we will advise ourselves,” the statement read.
Below is the statement:
We write to acknowledge receipt of part payment of the 2022 arrears owed to members of the National Food Suppliers Association by the National Food Buffer Stock Company.
We are expecting to receive the balance on the 17th of August 2023 as promised by the Minister of Food and Agriculture.
We thank the General Public and all Media Houses for their support and shared sentiments thus far.
Special thanks goes to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon Brian Acheapong, for his intervention that led to the recovery of a part of our 2022 arrears.
However, we are struggling to come to terms with how the Ministry of Education is currently disbursing the 2023 arrears to ONLY those who have supplied foodstuffs for the period through Commodity Exchange to the neglect of our members who had also supplied foodstuffs since January 2023, through the National Food Buffer Stock Company.
We are reliably informed that the 2023 arrears owed to suppliers have been released to the Ministry of Education for disbursement, but only those who have supplied through Commodity Exchange are the people being paid and our members who did their supply through National Food Buffer Stock Company are left to their fate.
We wish to humbly remind the Minister of Education, that, we have all worked for the government, whether through Commodity Exchange or National Buffer Stock Company and we all desire and deserve to be treated equally.
We are, by this release, serving notice and notice is hereby served to the Ministry of Education and National Food Buffer Stock Company that, if we do not receive all our arrears for both 2022 and 2023 within 14 days after this notice, we will advise ourselves.
KWAKU AMEDUME
(Spokesperson)
0244047325
ALSO READ: