According to the School Feeding Caterers Association, its members are dying as a result of massive debts they are unable to pay.
Speaking on the GhanaAkoma evening political show on Akoma 87.9FM in Kumasi with Aduanaba Kofi Asante, one of the executives of the Ashanti School Feeding Caterers Association, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, revealed that the government owes them money from the previous academic year.
“The children are being fed GH¢1 and a tax of 3 percent so we are left with GHp97 per child which is not enough and we have complained severally but nothing has been done about it. Now schools have reopened and we have to feed the children with that same amount.
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“We have so many arrears and when payments are in, we are underpaid which is really bad. Most of the women are dying because of the debts they owe since you cannot go and buy something on credit again. You go in for a loan and you have to plead,” the executive member stated. He added: “Let’s assume the price of rice is GH¢600.
The person is going to give it to you at GH¢900 because you are buying on credit. When the government promises to pay when school reopen, they don’t pay then you are seen as a liar. So when you mention school feeding on anything you want to buy on credit you will not get it.”
Three weeks after school resumed, the caterers have yet to begin operations, affecting attendance at several Ashanti Region primary schools.
A visit to five of Kumasi’s primary schools revealed that all of them were missing their caterers.
Schoolchildren beseeched the authorities to compensate caterers so that they could cook for the for them.
