There was a tense atmosphere at Ghana’s Ministry of Education as a group of Free SHS uniform suppliers gathered at the Free SHS Secretariat to demand payment for contracts dating back to the 2021/2022 academic year.
The aggrieved suppliers, who travelled from various parts of the country, said the prolonged delay has left many struggling to repay loans secured to execute the contracts.
Speaking to Adom News, some of the suppliers expressed frustration over what they described as years of unpaid arrears.
“We have taken loans to supply these uniforms, and the interest keeps increasing. Government must pay us our money,” one supplier stated.
Another added, “Since 2021/2022, we have not been paid. This is affecting our businesses and families.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Coordinator of the Free SHS Secretariat, Dr. Belinda Glover, moved to calm tensions, assuring the suppliers that efforts are underway to settle the outstanding payments.
“We are working to ensure that all genuine claims are paid,” she said.
Dr. Glover explained that part of the delay was due to discrepancies identified in some of the documents submitted for processing.
“There were infractions in some of the documents presented, which slowed down the payment process,” she noted.
She also acknowledged the backlog, admitting that some claims date as far back as the 2021/2022 academic year.
The situation highlights ongoing challenges within the Free SHS programme, particularly regarding delayed payments to service providers.
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