The government has pledged a week's ultimatum to pay arrears for goods supplied to public senior high schools.

This was announced by the Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, who assured members of the National Association of Institutional Suppliers (NAIS) of the government’s resolve to settle outstanding payments owed under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.

His comments come on the back of the Free SHS suppliers' picketing exercise at the Ministry of Education on Thursday, June 11, despite earlier engagements with officials of the Free SHS Secretariat over unpaid arrears.

While urging calm, the minister assured the group that the government would work to address the issue within a week.

“I give you my word and assurance that within a week we should be able to honour it,” he said.

NAIS demands

According to NAIS, it expects arrears of approximately GH¢50 million for goods supplied to public senior high schools since 2023, including uniforms, house dresses, and other essential items.

Speaking to the protesting suppliers, Mr Iddrisu indicated that their discontent was acceptable and justified, citing delays in government payments for services already rendered.

“You are free to lament that you are unhappy about the government not honouring its obligations,” he said.

He assured the suppliers that their claims would be reviewed and processed promptly, indicating that the government would prioritise settlement of the arrears; however, the Minister indicated that the payment would be to settle 2023 and 2024 arrears.

He proposed that the claims be subjected to audit and validation to confirm invoices and delivery records before payments are made.

He further directed that representatives of the suppliers engage with senior officials at the Ministry, including the Chief Director and Director of Finance, to facilitate the verification process.

The minister proposed conducting a verification exercise to check the suppliers' claims. This would involve reviewing invoices and delivery records to ensure that the goods or services were actually provided before any payments are made.

The association maintains that the arrears have affected their operations and is calling for immediate settlement of all outstanding debts despite ongoing government engagements.

Senior high schools (SHS) across the country faced the threat of closure due to delays in the release of funds for the procurement of food, particularly perishable items, needed to sustain feeding operations under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.

The situation emerged after a meeting between the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) and the Minister for Education ended without an agreement on measures to address a growing food-supply crisis in schools.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including CHASS, the National Food Buffer Stock Company and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), to discuss challenges associated with the procurement of perishable food items such as vegetables, meat and eggs, which had become increasingly difficult to source because of funding delays.

As part of efforts to resolve the challenge, the minister proposed that GETFund maintain an arrangement that allowed CHASS to independently procure perishable items. However, the parties failed to reach a consensus on the proposal.

The impasse followed a formal petition submitted by CHASS and the Conference of Principals of Technical Institutions (COPTI), which raised concerns about dwindling food supplies from the National Food Buffer Stock Company and the impact of inflation on already constrained school budgets.

CHASS subsequently warned that the failure to provide immediate funding for the procurement of essential food items could force schools to send students home, potentially disrupting the academic calendar and preparations for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Reports at the time indicated that some headteachers had resorted to using personal funds and obtaining supplies on credit from local vendors to ensure that students continued to receive meals.

The stalemate heightened concerns about the sustainability of the feeding component of the Free SHS programme, which served more than 1.2 million students nationwide, while stakeholders indicated they would continue discussions in search of a lasting solution to the crisis.