Government releases money for payment of feeding grants

The government of Ghana has released an amount of one hundred and six million, six hundred and ninety-seven thousand, six hundred and twenty-eight Ghana Cedis, eighty pesewas (GHC106,697,628.80) to the Registrar of Scholarships for payment of feeding grants for second cycle schools.

This comes after reports that reopening of second cycle institutions in the three regions of the north is in limbo because of government’s failure to reimburse three consecutive terms’ Feeding Grants.

According to a publication by citifmonline.com, heads of the affected schools had vowed never to reopen up until government defrays the accumulated debt.

A statement from the Ministry of Finance said government has released funds for the payment of the scholarship claims. It said the amount “is in respect of the 3rd term feeding grant for 137,300 students for the 2015/2016 academic year, and also for 140,264 students for the first term of 2016/2017 academic year” adding that, “the ministry is processing the remaining claims for the 2016/2017 academic year.”

Early this year, the schools were temporarily shut down over the perennial problem of unpaid Feeding Grants.

The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), decried the situation and called for government’s prompt action. The CHASS leadership maintained that they could no longer fend for the students’ well-being on credit.