Source: newsthemegh.com
The proposed GH1.20 increase put out by the Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, has been rejected by caterers participating in the Ghana School Feeding Program.
The striking caterers claim the planned rise is inadequate and that they “can’t cook any better food for the children” with it.
Their answer follows Lariba Zuweira Abudu’s assurance at a press conference on Sunday that the caterers will receive the third term arrears for the 2022 academic year that were owed to them this week.
She stated that the first and second term’s arrears had been paid in full and added that the third term’s payment process had been delayed due to meticulous validation and auditing procedures to guarantee the proper money were disbursed to caterers.
“I want to make sure that the due diligence and auditing are performed. Due to the volume of the figures, it takes time for the auditors to review everything and ensure that each caterer who has cooked has been identified and will be compensated. When their payments are delayed, they must be understanding. Without a doubt, we will pay them, and we will do it next week, she assured.
However, Dorothy Ofori Sarpong, a representative for the Ashanti Region’s caterers, has voiced disappointment in the Minister’s reaction to their issues.
“Even though the Minister talked, we are not going to cook; we are still on strike. She arrived, but her words weren’t satisfactory to us. With the exception of the third term in 2022, the arrears she claimed to have paid off are false. If she claims that all arrears have been paid, it is untrue because there are still outstanding balances from 2019 through 2020 and 2021.
“With the GH1.20 proposed sum, we will not agree. We pray that she returns and comes back to tell us something better because we cannot utilize this to make the children’s food any better.
Since the schools have resumed operations, the caterers have stopped providing their services and are requesting that the government increase the daily allowance per pupil and pay back any outstanding debts.
The caterers vow that this time, they won’t be swayed by empty promises. Additionally, they want the per-child payment to be increased from GHc1 to GHc3.50.
The Gender Minister, however, notes that discussions to raise the price of a meal for each child are still ongoing and that the proposal now on the table would see an increase from GH1 to GH1.20.