Members of the National Food Suppliers Association are to start receiving payment from July 17, following an assurance from the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.

Based on the promise, the irate suppliers have suspended their picketing at the premises of the National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO).

Since Tuesday, some members of the association have been spending the night at NAFCO to demand that monies owed them for over two years be paid in full.

The suppliers, who travelled from all regions of the country say the government owes them GH¢270 million for food supplied to Senior High Schools across the country from 2021 to 2023.

They say that until the government pays all of their monies, they will remain at the NAFCO premises.

However, the group is expected to discontinue the picketing with immediate effect since an agreement has been reached.

Spokesperson of the National Food Supplier’s Association, Kwame Amedume made this known in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Friday.

This comes after a fruitful engagement with the Agric Minister, Bryan Acheampong.

In their engagement, the minister assured the suppliers of payment on July 17, 2023.

He also noted that the said debt was not up to GH¢270 million.

"All validated invoices will be paid on July 17," he said.

According to Mr Amedume, although the assurance may be comforting to them, they are not entirely happy about it.

“At least we have heard something and not only us but the media bears witness that a Minister of State has promised payment will be made on the 17th or before 17th…it is not a cause to be happy but a reason to be comforted,” he noted.

https://myjoyonline.com/minority-clashes-with-bryan-acheampong-at-buffer-stock-company/

Prior to suspending the picketing, some legislators were on Friday seen in heated exchanges with the Agric Minister, Bryan Acheampong at the National Food Buffer Stock Company head office.

Members of the Minority leadership had visited the facility to assess developments following a sustained protest by the aggrieved food suppliers.

The members comprised Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson, his deputy Armah Kofi Buah, North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Juaboso MP Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and Felix Ofosu Kwakye, a former Deputy Information Minister under the NDC in the John Dramani Mahama administration, among others.

While the caucus sought answers from a representative of NAFCO in the company of the Parliamentary press corps, Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong walked in.

Mr Acheampong asked Cassiel Ato Forson; “You are a former Deputy Finance Minister. What do you know about these payments?”

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He further accused the Minority of fueling what he described as inorganic picketing.

“This inorganic picketing, should not be accepted and encouraged,” he told the team.

But the NDC legislators would have none of that. This culminated in heated exchanges between Mr Acheampong and the rest of the MPs.

An unenthused Mintah Akandoh retorted; “Are you angry because we are finding solutions to the challenges? If you could have solved it [challenges] we wouldn’t have been here.”

“You should be the last person to get angry,” Akandoh added.

Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had early on in the day directed the Ministers of Education, Finance and Agric to appear before Parliament next week. 

According to the Speaker, the three ministers must explain to Parliament what their challenges are in ensuring the suppliers are paid. 

He said when the challenges are known, the House could assist them to resolve same. 

“So I agree that the business committee should programme for the three ministers to come before the house. The three ministers are the Finance, Food and Agriculture and Education to tell us what the challenge is.”

“We will be able to assist the executive to solve these matters. That is why we have established the committee for ways and means.”