Apaak – Schools to close down if Food Suppliers are not paid by the end of this week

Dr. Clement Apaak, the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, has raised concerns that schools may face closure if the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) fails to pay arrears owed to food suppliers under the Free Senior High School Programme. According to Dr. Apaak, if the suppliers are not paid by the end of the week, they will be unable to continue supplying food to the schools.

As the ranking member of the parliamentary select committee on Education, Dr. Apaak called upon President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ensure that the arrears owed to the suppliers are settled, allowing them to sustain their business operations.

Expressing his confusion about the situation, Dr. Apaak pointed out that critical sectors such as education and health, as well as social intervention programs, are supposed to be protected even under the IMF program. Therefore, he questioned why the government has failed to release the funds to pay the Buffer Stock Food suppliers. The amount owed to them is reportedly not even above GHS300 million, and Dr. Apaak emphasized the need for the government to account for the funds allocated by Parliament for financing the Free SHS policy.

Dr. Apaak warned that if no action is taken by the end of the week, schools may face closure due to the suppliers’ inability to provide food. He called on the President to take immediate action to prevent this outcome.

The food suppliers, who have been protesting at the NAFCO premises, claim to be owed two years’ worth of arrears. Koku Amedume, a spokesperson for the National Food Suppliers Association, explained that the situation is placing significant pressure on them, as they had taken loans from banks to fulfill their supply obligations to the Buffer Stock. Amedume expressed concern about the interest accruing on these loans due to the nonpayment by NAFCO.

The suppliers, who participated in the demonstration and spent the night at the NAFCO premises, expressed their preference for staying there over their homes due to the mounting pressure they face. They emphasized the financial strain caused by the lack of payment, as they had taken on loans with high interest rates to support their businesses and engage in the supply business.

Source – 3news.com