Information emerging from the corridors of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) indicate that the Government is indebted to caterers rendering services under the Ghana National School Feeding Programme (GNSFP) to the tune of GHc101million.
The amount represents arrears accumulated for 76 days, out of which 36 days was recorded during the 2013/2014 academic year, with the remaining 40 days covering the 2014/2015 academic year.
A deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye made this admission yesterday when he addressed Parliament over the current status of the Ghana National School Feeding Programme (GNSFP).
Mr. Vanderpuye, who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodioo was summoned before the legislative House by the Speaker when a member filed an urgent question regarding to the GNSFP.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Sunyani East, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh had filed to ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development “when the indebtedness of the Ghana School Feeding Programme to caterers nationwide will be settled”.
The Odododiodioo law maker had stepped in the shoes of the substantive minister to answer the question when the leader of the House informed the Speaker that Mr. Julius Debrah was attending to an equally important national assignment elsewhere.
Commenting further, Mr. Vanderpuye told the House that the Government was indebted to the over 5,000 caterers nationwide for a period of 187 school going days for the 2013/2014 academic year but has paid GH?147million, covering a period of 151 days.
He said the remaining 36 school going days together with the 40 school going days accumulated under the 2014/2015 academic year was yet to be paid.
He said though there were challenges in the release of funds, the ministry in the interim, was mobilizing some funds from its own resources to pay the caterers the 36 school going days arrears until new funding releases are made by the government.
The Sunyani East law maker who was worried about the state of the GNSFP further inquired from the deputy minister what measures the ministry had put in place to ensure that the quality of the meals served by the caterers were not compromised in the midst of their financial hardship.
Mr. Vanderpuye in response told the House that the ministry had set up a monitoring and evaluation desk to evaluate reports that are brought from the GNSFP for appropriate action.
“Where issues of the quality of food have been raised, the ministry through the GNSFP has taken the decision to inquire into it and get appropriate responses.
“We’ve also through the reports of the GNSFP, tried to create an integrated system where through the Municipal and District Assemblies, we will have direct and good quality farming inputs from some known farmers to take directly to the caterers to prevent them from going to the market to buy rotten vegetables”, he stressed.
He appealed to the caterers to continue preparing sumptuous meals for the pupils since any attempt to compromise on the quality of the food would attract sanctions.
