CFSA says suppliers took loans to feed SHS students, now left stranded.
Accra, Oct 8 – Members of the Controlled Food Suppliers Association [CFSA] say the government owes them close to GH¢250 million for food supplied to senior high schools under the Free Senior High School policy.
The debt, according to the Association, covers supplies made for the 2024/2025 academic year through the National Food Buffer Stock Company [NAFCO] and the Ghana Commodity Exchange [GCX].
Addressing journalists in Accra on October 8, President of the Association, Danso Twumasi, said life has become unbearable for members months after delivery.
He said the figures have been audited and validated, leaving no dispute over the amount owed.
“We Borrowed to Supply”
Secretary of the Association, Cornelius Koku Logo, explained that most members borrowed from banks and took foodstuffs from farmers on credit, expecting prompt payment from the government.
“From then till now we’ve not been able to pay for those loans and the things that we took money to procure for the government,” he lamented.
He disclosed that the Association has been chasing payment since April, engaging NAFCO and GCX, and later petitioning the Ministry of Education in July and the Ministry of Finance, but without any concrete outcome.
Two-Week Ultimatum
The suppliers have now given the government two weeks to engage them and agree on a clear payment plan.
They are demanding a meeting involving the Presidency, the Ministries of Education and Finance, NAFCO, and GCX to provide a time-bound schedule for settlement.
Failure to do so, they warn, will force them to determine their next line of action.
