Caterers from the school feeding program in the Western Region have been admonished to bare with the government about the recent issues concerning nonpayment of salaries and the increase from 1 cedi to 1.20ps levy on every child.
Speaking on the Jolly Breakfast Show with Naomi Afriyie Nyannor, the Western Regional Coordinator of the school feeding program, Madam Abena Kwallah said that the sector has seen remarkable development under her tenure.
She noted that, at the time she took charge, the average number of schools that were under the program was 320 schools but currently, it has inclined to 528 schools.
According to Madam Kwaala, the increasing number of schools has resulted in extra expenses the government has to take care of.
She further stated with statistics that on the national level, the number of schools under the school feeding program has also skyrocketed “The school feeding program from KG to Primary 6 has grown. When we came the number of schools enrolled in the program was 1,671,777 now it has increased to 3, 801, 491. This has added extra cost which has affected the salary payment of the caterers. And it is not like we just get up and start paying caterers, we go through lots of processes”, she added.
She also used the opportunity to debunk claims that the authorities are embezzling funds that should be given to them.
Madam Abena Kwaala responding to the recent increase for a levy on a child said it is not what they wished for, but the caterers should try and support them for the school feeding program to run smoothly despite the economic crisis in the country, “as at 2018, it was 80ps and around that time the schools were not much but as the schools, it also came to 1 cedi. We were all hoping things would be better this time around but it’s not easy”, she said.
Source: Samuel Yeboah Adams
