[ 2017-02-10 ]

School Feeding Programme Under Threat As Caterers Threaten To Withdraw Services
Caterers working under the Ghana School Feeding
Programme (GSFP) have threatened to withdraw their
services over unpaid monies.

The over 4,000 caterers alleged that they had not
been paid from May 2016 to December 2016. The debt
which has accumulated over the period amounts to
over GH¢140 million, a situation that has made it
difficult for them to continue to provide food for
the children.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana School
Feeding Caterers Association, Maame Yaa Duodua,
told the Daily Graphic in an interview that
although the association was concerned about the
fate of the children, the accumulated debt was
making it difficult for members to continue
cooking.

“What the women are saying now is that they
don’t want to cook, because there are no funds.
Already, some caterers have not even been cooking
since school reopened, because there is no
money,” she said.

She added, “We are not in favour of what the
caterers are threatening to do, but the question
is, when are we going to get our money?”

Sacrificed for long

According to Maame Duodua, the women had
sacrificed for long, and that was why they kept
cooking last year although they did not received
any money.

“We are much concerned about the children, that
is why we have sacrificed all this time. But we
cannot keep going back to our creditors because
they do not want to give us items to use to cook
again,” she said.

She further explained that the money currently
being demanded was for “what we have already
cooked and we are yet to receive our money. We
have over 4,000 caterers now who are yet to be
paid.”

She said although the Gender minister-designate
mentioned the issues of unpaid feeding grants at
her vetting, it was long overdue and the
association did not know how long members were to
wait to get their monies.

“The good thing is that when the Gender
minister-designate was vetted, she spoke about it;
but our problem is that it is long overdue and
school has reopened and we are still cooking. We
don’t exepect the minister to assume office
today and pay caterers now, which is not done,”
she added.

Attempts to recover monies

The PRO of the association explained that several
attempts to get their grants paid had proved
futile.

“We have written to them and gone there several
times but it didn’t work. Before school
reopened, we went to the Ministry of Gender and we
met the Deputy Chief Director, who told us the
money would be paid. We went there on January 8,
2017 but till date nothing,” she said.

Showing a text message supposedly from the
management of the GSFP to the reporter, she
explained; “His text message was sent to us that
our money was going to be paid before the
elections but to date, we haven’t received
anything. We are always told it is coming, but
school reopened on January 10, and we have been
cooking, and still our money hasn’t come.”

She added, “What they are telling us no w is
that they don’t even know when the money is
coming, because they claim the cheque has been
with controller for over three months, always
controller is the excuse.”

The GSFP is an initiative to reduce hunger and
malnutrition while increasing school enrolment and
attendance.
 

Source - Daily Graphic

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