The Ministry of Gender , Children and Social Protection through the School Feeding secretariat has directed caterers under the Ghana Schools Feedings Program not to provide cooking services to pupils of basic schools in Ghana until 16th May 2022.
The Ministry in a document sited by Word Fm, said though public schools resumed on the 10th of May,2022, the caterers should not cook until 16th May.
“Public chools are supposed to re-open on 10th May,2022. However, the Ministry of Gender ,Children and Social Protection and the Ghana School Feeding Program are directing all contracted Caterrers of the Ghana School Feeding Program to resume cooking services to beneficial schools on Monday, 16th May, 2022 instead of the original Tuesday ,10th May, 2022.”
This is the second time that the Ghana School Feeding Program has failed to provide one nutritious meal to pupils in public schools in Ghana after Caterrers refused to provide cooking services to the pupils over concerns of failure of government to pay arrears owed them earlier this year.
The ministry did not give any tangible reason for the postponement of the date for caterers to provide cooking services except to say that it is to afford the caterers time to tidy up their kitchen.
“This would allow the caterers the opportunity to tidy up their kitchen to prepare for the term.”
The caterers are owned third term arrears of 2021 and first term of 2022. The caterers have complained that the delay i the release of funds for the payment of their arrears is affecting their ability to provide constant cooking services to the pupils.
The Ministry has however assured the caterers that all arrears owed them will be paid in due course.
“We would like to emphatically assure the caterers that they would be paid the 3rd term of 2021 academic year and any other arrears in due course. “
By: Simon Agana Blessing/mywordfmonline.com.