Government is not funding PFJ retail initiative – Food and Agriculture ministry clarifies
The Food and Agriculture Ministry has assured that the taxpayer’s money is not involved in transporting the subsidized foodstuffs from the farm gate to its premises.
The clarification by the Ministry comes on the back of the commencement of the retail of some food items at a subsidized price on Friday, Nov 11 2022 to civil and local government workers at its premises.
Some have since punched holes into the initiative complaining that the taxpayer will someway bare the cost but the sector Minister Dr Afriyie Akoto has since debunked such assertions.
“The Ministry is not handling the project. It is private individuals who bring the foodstuff from the producing centres up to this place [the Agric Ministry] and the cost is borne by the traders we have engaged,” he stated.
“So far, we have engaged six traders who are on this project, so they bring it from the producing centres to this place and sell it for themselves.”
According to the Ministry, data reveals a huge difference in terms of prices in the areas where they are produced and the cities because of the amount involved in the agricultural value chain.
Backing the Minister’s claims on the initiative, Mr George Oduro, a consultant at the Ministry of Agriculture also reiterated that the Government has nothing to do with the initiative. “There is no subsidy from the Government, Government is not paying anything. We are not incurring any cost so far as this project is concerned”.
The said initiative which has become quite topical since its introduction was first suggested by Dr Afriyie Akoto during a meeting with a farmer at Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North Region.
