The Second Deputy Majority Whip, Habib Iddrisu, has urged national food suppliers not to be influenced by political pressures in staging protests at the National Food Buffer Stock Company over the debt owed them.Iddrisu stressed the importance of the suppliers during a parliamentary session on Tuesday, urging them not to allow their feelings to be manipulated for political advantage.

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“I want to tell the suppliers that they are not just ordinary and they are not just poor people so they should not just allow people to play with their sentiments and politics of this,” he added.Meanwhile, the Minister of Food and Agriculture promised food suppliers that 50% of overdue payments would be issued by the end of Wednesday, July 19, 2023.

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According to the Minister, a total of $100 million, or 50% of the total debt of 203 million, was already transferred to the accounts of food suppliers on Monday, July 17, 2023. The balance is expected to be credited to their accounts by Wednesday.“Since 2017, Buffer Stock has done great business with the suppliers to the tune of ¢2.7 billion. In 2017, was ¢81.

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1 million, in 2018, ¢296 million, in 2019, ¢431 million, in 2020 ¢467million, 2021 ¢692 million, in 2022 ¢726 million. Buffer stock has made payments since it started in 2017, 2018,2019, 2020 and 2021 in full. Mr Speaker in 2022, of the ¢726, 617,881, ¢500 million have been paid to the suppliers. So we owe the suppliers a little more of ¢203 million.

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”“Last week, we received ¢100million which is 50% of what is due to the suppliers’ and we have supplied the same to the Buffer stock. We are hoping that by midweek this week that 50% will be sent to suppliers. I have also assured you that by the 17th of August, the remaining 50% will be paid,” he stated.

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In an early press conference on Monday, the National Food Suppliers Association vowed to resume picketing on Thursday if the funds were not paid to their accounts by the government.Meanwhile, the minority caucus has once again boycotted business activities in order to accompany Assin North MP James Gyakye Quayson to court, causing the house to change the order of business.

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