HON. CECILIA ABENA DAPAAH VISITS SCHOOLS IN ASHANTI REGION TO MONITOR THE SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME

The Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) which started in 2005, is currently feeding about 3.5 million children, representing about 57 per cent of national coverage. Government has made conscious effort to both maintain the programme and to increase coverage, which ultimately ensures that school going kids do not remain at home.
Some caterers were threatening to quit providing these services due to delays in payment of arrears.
But in an earlier notice to the GSFP caterers dated May 24, 2022, the Ministry had intimated that Government was working assiduously to honour its obligation of paying the outstanding arrears under the School Feeding Programme for the third term of 2021 academic year.
Government has since fulfilled this promise as reported in many news portals across the country and confirmed by the President of the Greater Accra School Feeding Caterers Association, Juliana Cudjoe, who speaking to the Citi news said,
“I just heard from our regional coordinator that some regions have been paid. They have been paid in full.”
In line with this, the care-taker Minister, Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah visited some selected Schools in the Ashanti Region (on Friday, June 17, 2022) to interact with caterers and pupils.
The Hon. Minister has stated that, education was at the heart of government’s priority, which explains the massive investments in the educational sector (which includes school feeding) – strengthening the foundation of future generations.
She explained that, although the government initially faced challenges with payment of arrears to the caterers, it is the intention of government to ensure all stakeholders of the GSFP remained motivated to help achieve the goal of the Programme, which is to feed school going kids.
The Hon. Minister made these remarks when she visited the State Experimental school (Nhyiaeso) and the Garrison Schools in Bantama, where both the caterers and the pupils expressed gratitude to the President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Minister, Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah for taking steps to ensure the arrears were paid in full and meals being provided.