School feeding programme “suspended”; Caterers unpaid for 7 months

The expansion was to cover all metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, making it a total of 2 million pupils.

The School Feeding Programme was introduced in 2005 by the Government of Ghana and the Dutch Government to boost domestic food production and increase school enrolment, attendance and retention among kindergarten and primary school children.

But Peacefmonline.com can authoritatively say the proposed expansion is not likely to happen this year. Caterers have also not been paid for seven months now. This is due to the lack of available funds.

In sum, the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) is broke. The last time the GSFP made full payment to caterers was on the 18th October, 2013.

Executive Director of the GSFP, S.P Adamu, who confirmed this to Kwami Sefa Kayi, host of PeaceFM’s “Kokrokoo” show revealed that the expansion has been suspended due to the lack of funds.

“We should have expanded to about 2 million by now but we have suspended it because of the lack of funds due to budgetary constraints…,” he said.

Majority of the caterers under the programme have been complaining of government’s inability to pay them for their services.

One of them, Cecilia Aggrey spoke to Kwami Sefa Kayi on the same platform and bemoaned government’s lackadaisical attitude towards them as far as releasing funds are concerned.

According to her, she feeds 480 pupils at 45 pesewas per day but due to the fact that she has not been paid for about a year, she will stop cooking for the school children.

Responding to these issues, the GSFP Executive Director admitted that the caterers have indeed not been paid for almost a year.

“It is true we are owing,” and subsequently proceeded to give a breakdown of the monies owed the caterers.

“…we paid part of the monies due them for the Ist Term of the 2013/2014 academic year; thus 39 days of that term (First) still remains to be paid…regarding the 2nd Term for the same academic year, 72 days remain unpaid…and as at 30th June (2014), which rounds up to 34 days of the 3rd Term, we haven’t made any payment to the caterers…so in effect, we owe the caterers some 145 days which roughly comes up to about 7 school months arrears,” he disclosed.

According to him, it was only in 18th October 2013 that “we were able to pay every caterer on the programme”.

“You are aware of the economic challenges facing the country; it has affected every release of grant to every ministry including the school feeding programme and so it is not intentional…But the President directed that the SFP be treated differently, that is why we were able to honour some of our debt obligation up to October…I hope by the close of the week or early next week, some releases will be done,” he assured.