![\"school](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1652443998_567_1126201915229-h40o2s6fey-school-feeding-Copy-696x449.jpg\" "\\"school")
The School Feeding Caterers Association has said that with immediate effect, provision of meals to the beneficiaries has stopped, due to the lack of funds.<\/p>\n
According to the aggrieved caterers, government has failed to increase the grants allocated to them to run the programme.<\/p>\n
The caterers want the feeding fee increased from the current 97 pesewas per pupil to 3 cedis.<\/p>\n
Speaking in an interview with Ayisha Ibrahim on\u00a0News Desk<\/strong>\u00a0on Monday, the President of the Caterers Association, Juliana Cudjoe voiced her frustrations and called on government to speedily address the problem.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe are not pushing the government. We are just pleading with the government to increase our money. That\u2019s all\u201d, she stated.<\/p>\n As of now, the Association is holding itself in readiness to meet with government to address its concerns.<\/p>\n But responding to why the Association has refused to cook for the pupils, pending the outcome of the meeting, Juliana Cudjoe said, \u201cMost of the caterers don\u2019t have money, and today, we\u2019re going to meet them at the Secretariat. So whatever comes from there, we will let you know. We don\u2019t have a choice\u201d.<\/p>\n She added, \u201cthe prices of items have been increased, so when we are paid, we use the balance to offset our arrears. Then we\u2019re left with nothing to cook. Today we have nothing to do, we have nothing to cook. We don\u2019t have money. So we are going to meet them. It is not that we are punishing the kids. We don\u2019t have money\u201d.<\/p>\n Reacting to these concerns, the Public Relations Officer of the School Feeding Secretariat, Siibi Alpha expressed surprise at the development.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has come to us as a shock. Because we knew that, at least they\u2019ll go and cook all along. So if they\u2019re telling us that, that\u2019s their stance that they\u2019ll not go and cook, Management will also take a decision on what to do next in terms of at least trying to convince them to rescind their decision, and then trying to put contingency measures to also avert the [situation]\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n Earlier, Chairperson of the Association, Juliana Cudjoe, told\u00a0JoyNews<\/strong>\u00a0that they are making huge losses from cooking hot meals for the children with the current amount paid as grant.<\/p>\n According to her, they have literally been doing magic to sustain their businesses.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not going to cook until we hear something from them. We need our payment, and we want an increment too. So, we will not cook on Monday\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the School Feeding Secretariat has promised to look into their concerns and has invited the leadership of the Association to a meeting on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have made their demands. So, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the School Feeding Management will develop a comprehensive statement on that\u201d.<\/p>\n This new development comes after the Management of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) announced last week that the resumption of cooking services in all beneficiary schools will begin on May 16.<\/p>\n A notice issued on May 9, added that the caterers would be paid the third term of the 2021 academic year and other arrears in due course.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n