Schools at risk of closure if Free Senior High School Program’s food suppliers go unpaid by end of the week, according to Builsa South MP, Dr Clement Apaak.
He emphasized that the suppliers’ inability to continue food provision without payment.
Dr Apaak, a member of the parliamentary select committee on Education, has urged President Akufo-Addo to prioritize settling the owed arrears for the suppliers’ business sustainability.
“I truly don’t understand what the problem is, we have been told that even with the IMF programme critical sectors like education and health and indeed social intervention programmes are protected, so if that is the case why has the government failed to release money so that the Buffer Stock Food suppliers will be paid?
“From what I know, the amount owed them is not even in excess of GHS300 million. So what has the government been doing with the money that Parliament has been approving year in and year out to finance the Free SHS policy?
“The President ought to step up to the plate and do the needful so that we don’t have schools closed down by the end of this week if nothing is done. If nothing is done by the end of this week, mark my words, schools will be closed down because the suppliers are no longer in a position to supply food,” Dr Apaak said on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Tuesday, July 4.
Food Suppliers, currently staging a protest at the NAFCO premises, claim that they are owed two years’ worth of arrears.
The National Food Suppliers Association spokesperson, Koku Amedume, expressed their predicament, explaining that the unpaid arrears have caused immense pressure as they had taken loans from banks to fulfill their obligations to the Buffer Stock.
During an appearance on the Ghana Tonight Show with Alfred Ocansey on TV3, Amedume revealed that the suppliers, who even spent the night at NAFCO, find more comfort staying on the premises rather than returning to their homes due to the mounting pressure.
Furthermore, they are deeply concerned about the accumulating interest on the loans, resulting from NAFCO’s failure to make payments.
“The pressure on us at home is massive. Most of these people go to contract loans from banks with huge interests with the sole aim of supporting their business and engaging in this supply business.“Buffer stock had taken supplies from them for two years, for two years we have not been paid,” he said.