The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, has provided assurance that the caterers working under the School Feeding Programme will receive the arrears owed to them for the third term of the 2022 academic year. During a press conference held on Sunday, the minister confirmed that the payment process for the third term was delayed due to thorough validation and auditing procedures aimed at ensuring accurate distribution of funds to the caterers.
Addressing the media, Minister Lariba emphasized the need for proper auditing and due diligence to be conducted before disbursing the funds. She explained that the extensive volume of data required adequate time for auditors to review and ensure that all caterers who provided meals were captured and would receive their payments accordingly. While acknowledging the caterers’ patience during the delayed payment process, she assured them that their monies would be paid in due course, with the scheduled disbursement set for next week.
The Minister further revealed that the files of approximately 11,052 caterers have been cleared for payment, while 76 cases are still pending due to challenges associated with their E-Zwich cards, a payment platform used by the programme.
It was emphasized that only caterers who cooked during the third term would be eligible for payment, as per the programme’s guidelines. Payment is determined based on the number of days a caterer provided meals within a term. If, for instance, there were 67 school days in a term, and a caterer cooked for 60 days, they would receive payment for those 60 days specifically. This approach ensures transparency and aligns the payments with the reports obtained from the various regions on the number of days each caterer cooked.
The announcement comes after some caterers participating in the School Feeding Programme had expressed their grievances earlier in the week and vowed not to cook for the school children until their outstanding payments were settled. These caterers are also advocating for an increase in the amount paid per child, from GH¢1 to GH¢3.50.
Regarding the demand for an increased meal cost per child, Minister Lariba confirmed that discussions were underway. Currently, the proposed increase stands at GH¢1 to GH¢1.20 per child, but negotiations with the Finance Ministry are ongoing to reach a mutually agreeable cost.
The Minister assured caterers and stakeholders that her ministry would continue engaging in dialogue with the Finance Ministry to establish a fair and sustainable cost structure for the programme, addressing the concerns raised by the caterers.
As the arrears for the third term of the 2022 academic year are set to be disbursed next week, caterers involved in the School Feeding Programme can anticipate receiving their long-awaited payments. The Minister’s commitment to ongoing discussions and negotiations regarding the cost per child demonstrates a proactive approach in addressing the concerns of the caterers and striving for an equitable solution that benefits all parties involved.
