The Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection has began talks with the World Bank Group to come onboard to support Ghana’s School Feeding Programme.
This was disclosed by the National President of the Ghana School Feeding Programme Caterers’ Association, Mrs. Charlotte Ashiakie Asante at a press briefing in Accra.
According to her, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Madam Lariba Zuweira Abudu, has already began engaging reps of the Bretton Woods Institution.
“Hon. Lariba disclosed that her administration is in serious talks with the World Bank to come on board to support caterers of the Ghana School Feeding Programme,” she announced during the press conference held at the International Press Centre on June 21, 2023.
Mrs. Ashiakie Asante added that she has had “the opportunity to attend one of the stakeholders meeting with the World Bank at the World Bank Ghana office on 7th February, 2023.”
The revelation comes after the School Feeding Programme, which caters for some 3.8 million pupils in public basic schools across the country has suffered some setbacks owing to monetary challenges in an already dire economy hence the need for external support.
Due to the associated challenges including delays in payment, poor quality of food among others, some members of the public have sided with the caterers on the need for government to increase the daily grant from a paltry GH¢1 to GHc3.
The government has however proposed a 20 pesewas increment for the 2023 academic year: the grant now stands at GH¢1.20.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Charlotte Asante has served notice that caterers of the feeding programme still stand by their earlier demand for GH¢3 increment.
“It is our demand that the Government would facilitate the necessary processes to still increase the amount from the proposed Ghc.1.20 to three Ghana cedis, considering the prevailing cost of items on the market,” she stressed.
Caterers under the programme recently declared a nationwide strike since the beginning of the second term of 2023 academic year to drum home their demand for early payment of arrears and increment in the amount slated for each child per day.
However, following the payment of third term arrears for the 2022 academic year and a promise to heed other demands of the caterers, the industrial action has been called off by the national executives of the association.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, let me officially announce that the nationwide strike embarked upon by our caterers across the entire country has now been called off. We entreat all our caterers to go back to work when school re-opens next week,” the national president declared on June 21.
The association took the opportunity to apologise to all beneficiary school children, teachers and parents for any inconveniences caused by their long strike.