NAIS To Picket Over Free SHS Debts
The National Association of Institutional Suppliers has announced plans to stage a demonstration at the Ministry of Education over protracted arrears owed by government under the Free Senior High School programme. The association says the action is compelled by fiscal distress threatening the viability of its members.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday, the association is owed a substantial sum for uniforms, house dresses, and school cloths supplied to public senior high schools nationwide. The prolonged delay has strained supply chains, impaired production capacity, and jeopardized livelihoods of textile manufacturers and distributors. NAIS contends that continued inaction undermines contractual integrity.
The Free SHS initiative remains one of Ghana’s most ambitious education reforms, premised on equitable access and quality provision. However, its execution depends on a symbiotic relationship between the state and private suppliers who front production costs. When payments are deferred indefinitely, the entire ecosystem suffers, from seamstresses in Korkor to bulk manufacturers in urban centers.
Financial analysts warn that persistent arrears create a vicious cycle of credit dependency and reduced output, ultimately compromising the timely delivery of essential learning materials. For suppliers, the debt represents not merely unpaid invoices but eroded working capital and reputational risk. The June demonstration is thus positioned as both protest and plea for fiscal responsibility.
Resolution will require decisive intervention from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education to honor obligations and restore confidence in public procurement. The credibility of Free SHS hinges on the state’s ability to meet its commitments to private partners. Until that occurs, the specter of industrial action will loom over the programme’s sustainability.
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Source: Stella Sunu
