Free SHS: Government engages National Buffer Stock for food supply

Professor Kwasi Opoku Amankwaah, Acting Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), has revealed that the National Buffer Stock Company has been contracted to supply food to the various senior high schools (SHSs) across the country.

This he said, formed part of the implementation of the Free Senior High School programme, the flagship programme of the Akufo-Addo-led government. The programme begins today, Monday, 11 September as first-year students who were successfully placed in various SHSs report officially.

Speaking to Chief Jerry Forson, host of the Ghana Yensom programme on Accra 100.5FM on Monday, September 11 Prof Amankwaah said: “We are fully ready for the programme. We have met all the heads of the schools and gone through all laid-down procedures to follow.

“Monies have been disbursed to the various schools. The monies sent to the schools depended on the number of students being admitted by that particular school and so the schools will not have equal amount.”

He added: “National Buffer Stock Company is playing a role in the programme, the company has met with all the heads in relation to the programme on the supply of food to the schools.”

Meanwhile, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Deputy Minister of Education, has revealed that the Ministry of Finance has disbursed an amount of GHS150 million to all the senior high schools (SHS) across the country for the implementation of the Free SHS programme.

This represents 20 per cent of the total amount of GHS486 million for the programme. Government is expected to disburse the entire amount by mid-term.

Last week, a Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei-Asare, told journalists: “All we are waiting for is for the Ministry of Education to tell us the various numbers that have been placed in each school and based on that, we will go ahead and transfer the monies. By Friday [today], the money should hit all the accounts we have been provided with.

“For the GHc486 million, it is ready and we have issued the first part, that is the 50 per cent.”

Dr Adutwum told host, Forson, that: “So far, GHS150 million has been released to the schools for the implementation of the programme.”