The National Food Suppliers Association has given the government up to Thursday, July 20, 2023, to pay the arrears owed its members.
According to the Association, the government has reneged on its promise to settle the debt on Monday, July 17.
Although the government through the Agric Ministry has assured that funds have been released for payment to be made by Wednesday, July 19, the food suppliers say if by Thursday they do not receive payment, they would resume picketing with their dependants.
A spokesperson for the food suppliers Association, Kwaku Amedume while addressing a press conference in Accra indicated the government is not being honest with members of the association.
The Agric Minister, Bryan Acheampong came to tell us there were plans to pay us today, so we summoned all our members to come for their cheques only for the Buffer Stock CEO to tell us that they have not received any money to that effect and further said that he will not deal with an association, and we find that comment to be unfortunate because the people he wants to deal with individually are the same people in the association.”
Mr. Amedume further warned sternly that they expect to receive the full amount of funds the government owes to members else their picketing will resume.
“All we are asking them to do is to pay people who have supplied foodstuffs to Buffer Stock in the past two years whose interests have accumulated and are being chased by creditors but because of the CEO’s comments, we proceeded to the Agric Minister who said the cheque was issued today and expected to be ready by Thursday but the hint we are getting is that we are not going to get full payment.
“We have made the point clear that we will not accept half payment of our monies because the money is long overdue and the interest on those monies is accumulating and creditors are on our necks.”
