The National Food Suppliers Association has announced plans to picket outside the Ministry of Education to demand the settlement of seven months’ worth of unpaid debts.
The Association, representing food suppliers that the National Food Buffer Stock Company has engaged, claims the government still needs to honour payments, leading to significant operational challenges. The unpaid arrears have reportedly disrupted the suppliers’ business activities, prompting the planned protest.
In an interview with Citi News, Kwaku Amedume, spokesperson for the National Food Suppliers Association, criticized the government for what he described as a deliberate attempt to undermine the Association’s operations. He accused the Buffer Stock Company of making unauthorized deductions from payments and failing to provide satisfactory explanations.
“They have been deducting our money left, right, and centre, and when we seek clarification, there is no response,” Amedume said. He highlighted that one supplier had nearly 3,000 cedis deducted, with additional charges of 2% and 3% applied by the Buffer Stock.
Amedume confirmed that the Association will hold a press conference on Monday to address the issue further. Despite multiple letters of complaint, the government has yet to respond adequately.
“If our demands are unmet, we will proceed with serious picketing. It appears the government is intent on withholding our funds,” Amedume warned.
The planned protest underscores growing frustration among food suppliers over delayed payments and the Association’s readiness to escalate its response if their concerns remain unaddressed.
