Members of the National Food Suppliers Association are expected to start receiving monies owed them by the government on Monday, July 17, 2023.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, had given assurances approximately two weeks ago that the payment process was already in progress.
In response to the outstanding debt of GH¢278 million, the association members have been staging continuous protests at the premises of the National Food Buffer Stock Company since July 4, demanding payment.
However, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong revealed during an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM that he engaged with the association members on Thursday, July 6, and informed them that the payment process has already commenced.
He added that the first instalment is expected to be disbursed on Monday, July 17, 2023.
“Luckily, there has been a reconciliation and payment is being processed for them and it will be paid to them starting July 17. I can assure you that from July 17, those who have supplied and have been cleared will be paid their money,” the Agric Minister told Selorm Adonoo.
He further emphasized that the payment is not out of the aggrieved members’ protest but was something the government had already put in place and that the protest only forced the government to disclose the payment date publicly.
“There was no need to have the protest for these people to be paid from July 17. They are not being paid because they have protested because we had the timelines on when they were going to receive the money and the protest has only forced us to come out to tell them the date for the payment. So I told them today that it was not because of the protest that they were being paid,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Food Suppliers Association says it will be left with no option but to resume its picketing if the government fails to honour its promise to pay them their money beginning July 17.
Speaking to Citi News, the spokesperson for the Association, Kwaku Amedume said his members are hoping the government honours its end of the bargain.
