“Implement a transparent and systematic payment process to enhance tracking”- Institutional Suppliers to MoE

According to the National Association of Institutional Suppliers, the Ministry of Education has not complied with its pledge to pay all outstanding invoices to suppliers, namely for the years 2021–2022.

Many of the group’s members claim not to have received any compensation.

The vendors issued the following statement: “It is misleading for the Ministry to claim that GHS26 million has been paid to suppliers of stationery, PE kits, and uniforms to cover arrears.”

“ It must be noted that for the past seven years when the award of contracts for the supply of PE kits and stationery was moved from the school level to the ministry level, suppliers of the PE kits and stationery have remained anonymous and are not members of our association. Shockingly, not a single member of our association has been awarded a contract for the supply of PE kits and stationery for the past seven years. It, therefore, appears that a substantial portion of the GHS26 million has gone to their own cronies; the suppliers of PE kits and stationery”, it added.

The suppliers emphasised that the process of settling arrears appears to be characterised by “selective payments rather than a systematic and transparent approach”.

It indicated that this selective payment practice seems deliberate and complicates the tracking of payments made to members, while stressing that another worrying situation is “that according to the ministry’s records, some suppliers have been marked as paid when they have not actually received payment. Upon inquiry, it has been discovered that their invoices are missing”.

The suppliers further noted that this exacerbates the issue, leading to inaccurate claims of payment by the Ministry.

The suppliers, therefore, called on the ministry to urgently fulfil its “commitment to pay all outstanding arrears without further delay,” while urging the ministry to “implement a transparent and systematic payment process to enhance tracking of payments made to members”.

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com