Caterers of School Feeding Programme demand 50% increase in feeding grants

School Feeding caterers across the country want a 50% increase in the daily feeding fee of students per plate.

The current amount stands at 1 cedi per plate which according to the Ccterers, is woefully inadequate, looking at the increase in the cost of food stuffs. They now want the government to increase the feeding fee to GH1.50.

Speaking at a News Conference in Accra, the Public Relations Officer of the National School Feeding Caterers Association, Caroline Ewusi said Government has paid all outstanding arrears owed them for the first term of the 2021 Academic Year with the exception of arrears for the Second Term.

Sandra Amanfu reports that in the last few days some caterers under the Ghana School Feeding programme have been agitating over what they described as meagre amounts allocated for the feeding of children under the programme.

According to them the ₵ 1 per plate is woefully inadequate and unfair for which reason they have threatened to stop cooking.

At the news conference by the Ghana National School Feeding Caterer Association, the PRO, Mrs. Caroline Ewusi said they can only provide sufficient and nutritious food to students with a 50% increase.

“We wish to encourage our hardworking Hon. The Minister to put in a lot more effort to make sure that the second term payment is paid on time and most importantly an increment from one cedi to one cedi fifty pesewas is instituted. Thus, the said payment will go a long way to help the caterers’’, she said.

Mrs. Ewusi expressed the Association’s gratitude to the government for settling the first term arrears of the 2021 Academic Year of Caterers of the School Feeding Programme excluding Caterers in the Western and Western North regions.

“The Ghana National School Feeding Caterer Association wish to extend it warmest appreciation to Mr. President Akufo-Addo and his abled Minister Sarah Adwo Sarfo for their timely intervention in settling the first term arrears of the caterers of the Ghana school Feeding Program. This intervention has brought relief to all caterers across the country’’.

Mrs. Ewusi asked Caterers under the School Feeding Programme to resume work as soon as schools reopen as they wait on the government to settle the Second Term arrears for the 2021 Academic year.

“We plead with caterers across the country to be cautious about people carrying themselves as an Association and taking money’’.