The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Buffer Stock Company, Hanan Abdul-Wahab, appear to be shadowboxing each other over whether or not food suppliers are owed by the Akufo-Addo government.
The last few weeks, have witnessed picketing at the premises of National Buffer Stock Company by traders who say they are owed some huge sums.
But aside the picketing, official documents have been dropped in the public domain and interviews and counter interviews granted by government officials, as well as opposition members on the matter of the hefty debt which the Ministry of Education puts at hundreds of millions of Ghana Cedis saying it runs into years.
However, the CEO of the National Buffer Stock, denies that the company owes suppliers arrears exceeding two years.
His denial comes as the leadership of the National Food Suppliers association, has in a statement revealed meeting with “the Minister of education, Hon Adu Adutwum, on the 11th July, 2023, at the Ministry of Education to discuss the indebtedness of the National Food Buffer stock Company to the members of the National Food Suppliers Association.
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The statement signed by Kwaku Amedume and dated July 11 , 2023 said that the Education Minister, had disclosed releasing “a total amount of Four Hundred and Eighteen Million Ghana Cedis (GH¢418,000,000,000) to the National Food Buffer Stock Company between the periods of 2021, 2022, and 2023, and One Hundred Million Ghana Cedis (GH¢100, 000,000), Two Hundred and Eighty three Million Ghana Cedis (GH¢283,000,000,000) and Thirty Five Million Ghana Cedis (GH¢35,000,000,000) respectively.
The statement said that “it is worthy to note that, even though the Minister asserts to have released an amount of GH¢283,000,000,000, in 20220to the Buffer Stock Company for payment of arrears in 2022, members of the National Food Suppliers Company are yet to receive a penny of the said amount.
“The Hon. Minister intimated to the executives of the Ghana Food Suppliers Association that in January 2023, the amount paid (GH¢35, 000,000,000) was the remaining balance of the 2022 arrears owed to the National Food Suppliers Association.
“The Minister pledged that the Ministry of Finance is in the process of releasing part of the arrears this week, and that government is not in the position to pay our arrears in full.
“We wish to state that we are not prepared to accept part payment of the 2022 arrears, given the fact that individual members have accumulated interests on their loans contracted from their respective banks.
But shortly after the statement, CEO of the Ghana Buffer Stock, in an exclusive interview on the Happy Morning Show said, “I want to put this on record that we don’t owe any supplier over two years arrears. We don’t have an invoice that has exceeded two years with us as we speak, and that is a fact. If we did we would have shut down schools by now.”
He acknowledged the grievances of the association as he described the action as “the first of its kind” having enjoyed a six-year working relationship with the suppliers since 2017. He said that the delay in payments prompted the suppliers’ decision to take their concerns directly to the company’s office.
Abdul-Wahab further indicated that to resolve the issue, the Minister for Food and Agriculture has engaged with the suppliers, providing assurances and setting timelines for the release of funds.
Abdul-Wahab reiterated the Minister’s actions and expressed gratitude for the suppliers’ cooperation, noting, “They have since respected the Minister’s plea and have decided to call off the picketing because the Minister had promised them that by the 17th, they will get their funds released to them. So far so well. Various stakeholders have met and on the side of the management of Buffer Stock we have already started preparing their payment structures because we know whatever it is we’ll be able to pay them on the 17th of this month so that they’ll be able to go back and continue with their suppliers again.”
