“We have settled all arrears owed to caterers under the School Feeding Programme, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has said.
On Monday, July 31, Mr Ofori-Atta announced this at the presentation of the 2023 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament.
“Under the Ghana School Feeding Programme, coverage increased considerably from 1,671,777 beneficiaries in 2016 to 3,801,491 beneficiaries by June 2023. The feeding grants cost per meal, per child, per day increased from GH¢1.00 to GH¢1.20 for the 2023 academic year.
“We have also settled all arrears owed to caterers under the programme for the second and third terms of the 2022 academic year; and the first term of 2023,” he said.
The Minister also reiterated the government’s resolve to continue to support social protection schemes to safeguard the poor and the vulnerable.
“Under the LEAP programme, Government disbursed a total of GH¢169.95 million as of June 2023 to 346,019 households comprising 1,533,748 individuals. This includes the increase of the monthly grant to beneficiary households from GH¢32.00 to GH¢64.00 for one-member household and GH¢38.00 to GH¢76.00 for two-member households. Our target under this programme period is to reach about 8 per cent of the population, that is 2.5 million people,” he added.
On April 27, caterers called a countrywide strike in response to the government’s inability to pay their debts and raise the amount paid each kid from 97 pesewas to GH3.50.
The caterers stressed that they will not be persuaded this time by hollow promises.
