Caterers under the government’s school feeding programme in the Ashanti region are threatening to withdraw their services for the next academic year if the government fails to pay all outstanding arrears owed to them.
They also want the government to pay them GH1.50p per child as it has been agreed.
The caterers say they were expecting to receive payment for 3 academic terms at GH¢1.50p per child but have received payment for only one academic term and the monies reflected show that they were paid GH¢1.15p per pupil, contrary to what had been agreed on.
The caterers, who are accusing the Gender Minister, Darkoa Newman of treating them unfairly say she’s deliberately making deductions without proper explanation.
They are thus urging the government to ensure they are paid what has been promised them or they will refuse to cook in the next academic year.
in an interview with Citi News, Dorothy Ofori Sarpong, the Ashanti regional Secretary for Progressive School Feeding Caterers Association of Ghana said, “You all remember last year, our former minister, Hajia Lariba Zuweira said on national television that school feeding caterers are demanding 3gh per each pupil. But according to her, the government approved 1.5pesewas. And so, this current national coordinator Hajia Safia Mohammed also said the same thing, three months ago the government had approved 1.50pesewas and payment is going to take effect from the 2023 September 1st term.
“And so, this is what the caterers are expecting, only to realise that 1.20 pesewas that they used to pay that last year’s 1st term amount. And then deducted 5pesewas from each pupil, making it 1.15pesewas. We’re saying that we need that 35pesewas, before the end of next week. Some of them too, their payments didn’t come, some too underpayments.”
She pleaded with the vice president and NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to intervene in the matter.
“We’re pleading with our incoming President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia that this is an election year, we don’t want a situation whereby the Gender Ministry is going to do worse things for him. He should come in and look into the matter…We’re pleading that we need our money.
“We have realised the ministry is not taking us seriously and we too will not take them seriously. And we’re going not to cook, nobody will cook, this year if they don’t pay us.”
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