The President of the Free Senior High School (SHS) Suppliers Association, Agnes Abedua, has made an urgent appeal to the Ghanaian government to settle outstanding debts owed to suppliers. According to her, some members are battling illness, financial hardship, and even deaths in their families due to the prolonged delay in payments. Suppliers have been waiting for payment since 2024, despite financing food supplies through credit and bank loans.
Madam Abedua stated that suppliers have relied heavily on credit and loans to keep their businesses running, but the situation has become unbearable. They take items on credit and take bank loans to support the business, but they can barely feed. The financial difficulties are having devastating consequences, including the death of a colleague's 21-year-old child who could not receive medical attention due to lack of funds.
The financial crisis has also resulted in serious health challenges for several suppliers. Madam Abedua recounted that someone in Takoradi even had a stroke due to the financial pressure. Suppliers have repeatedly been assured that efforts are underway to settle the debt, but no payment has reached them. The latest update given to suppliers was that their payment documents were with the Finance Minister for approval.
The situation has resulted in huge losses for suppliers who prepared to provide food after being asked to register, only for some to receive no contracts. When there was a change of government, suppliers did not get jobs even though they registered. They also registered with Buffer Stock, but not a single supply was made. Large quantities of food purchased in anticipation of supplies eventually became unusable and had to be discarded.
Madam Abedua stated that some suppliers lost hundreds of bags of maize after the commodities became infested. Someone had to throw away 500 bags, while she threw away 300 bags of maize. The financial pressure has become so severe that some suppliers can no longer remain at home because creditors and banks are pursuing them.
The suppliers have done everything expected of them but are yet to receive payment or, in some cases, even supply opportunities. Madam Abedua urged the government to treat the matter as urgent, stressing that suppliers are facing real hardship and need the money not only to settle their debts but also to meet pressing health and family needs.
The Free SHS Suppliers Association is calling on the government to take immediate action to address their concerns. The delayed payments have caused significant hardship for suppliers, and urgent action is needed to prevent further financial and health challenges. The government has been urged to prioritize the payment of outstanding debts to suppliers to alleviate their suffering.
Key points
- Suppliers are facing financial hardship and health challenges due to delayed payments.
- The government has been urged to treat the matter as urgent and prioritize the payment of outstanding debts to suppliers.
- Suppliers have lost hundreds of bags of maize due to infestation and have had to discard large quantities of food that became unusable.
