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The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs. Sarah Adwoa Safo, has promised to resolve all issues related to the Ghana National School Feeding Program (GNSFP) for its proper functioning.
“Since taking office, the school feeding program has been at the heart of my agenda. I can assure you that we are working diligently to ensure that caterers are paid on time and that we resolve any issues that affect the smooth running of the program, ”she said.
The minister made the remarks when the leadership of the Ghana National School Feeding Caterers Association invited her to the ministry in Accra to petition them about alleged unfair treatment.
She assured them of the ministry’s commitment to ensure the smooth running of the program as one of the flagship programs of the government, designed to reduce poverty and fight against food insecurity problems, especially in the poorest areas. from the country.
Ms. Safo, said the program aims to provide hot and nutritious meals to children in public preschools and primary schools and commended the caterers for their patience and sacrifices in partnering with the government in the successful implementation of the program.
The minister called for calm among caterers and urged the Association to work hand in hand with the ministry as they attempt to improve the program and its service delivery to students across the country.
She said, “I urge you to stay calm and continue to cook the nutritious meals that you provide for our school children. The program has increased the number of students enrolled in our public schools, so I beg you to work together to bring the school feeding program to the desirable state it should be.
Hajia Asana Salifu, President of the Association, presenting the petition on behalf of the members, said that the late payment, the insufficient cost of feeding per child, currently 0.97 pesewas, the operational structure and the alleged corruption at the School Feeding Secretariat were issues that members were unhappy with.
In the petition, members suggested that the ministry negotiate with the Agricultural Development Bank (AfDB) to arrange pre-finance arrangements for caterers where deductions could be made when the government has released funds for their payment.
Ghana’s National School Feeding Program, which began implementation in 2005, is an initiative of the Comprehensive Agricultural Development Program, Pillar 3, aimed at improving food security and reducing hunger in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. United Nations on hunger, poverty and malnutrition.
Currently, more than 3,000,000 students in about 10,000 schools in all metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) are benefiting from the school feeding program, which has significantly reduced the incidence of malnutrition, which is the cause of great vulnerability of children to illnesses and intellectual dysfunctions. .
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