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The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection has recommended an increase of GHS1.20, but the Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP) caterers have stated they will not accept it.
The increase is unacceptable, according to the caterers, because it is insufficient.
The spokesperson for the caterers in the Ashanti Region, Dorothy Ofori Sarpong, said they are still on strike despite Gender Minister Lariba Zuweira Abudu’s announcement that the caterers will receive their unpaid arrears for the third term of the 2022 academic year.
“Even though the Minister talked, we are not going to cook; we are still on strike. We weren’t satisfied with what she had to say, she said.
The Ashanti Region’s caterers claim they are due arrears going back as far as 2019. They won’t concur with the Gender Minister when she claims that all arrears have been paid, for that reason.
As far back as 2019, 2020, and 2021, there are arrears. Therefore, if she claims that all arrears have been paid, that is untrue. We will not consent to the GHS1.20 price proposed, Ms. Sarpong said.
The Ashanti Region caterers’ representative continued, “We cannot use this to cook any better food for the children and we pray that she goes back and comes back and tells us something better.”
The Gender Minister confirmed the rise in the price per meal each child while speaking at a press conference held in Accra on Sunday, June 4, 2023.
The cost per meal, per child, per day for 2023 has been set at $1.20, and the gender minister added, “We’re still in talks with the Ministry of Finance to see how best we can help. If it can be reviewed, we’ll let you know.”
“As of April 2023, the ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance has paid the first and second term arrears of the 2022 academic year,” she stated. “I want to give the assurance here that, next week, caterers’ arrears will be paid.”
The Gender Minister continued, “We have completed all validation, we have completed the auditing, and I want to make sure that the auditing and due diligence are completed so that next week we are paying.”
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
