The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has announced the removal of taxes on payments made to caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme to improve the quality of meals served to pupils.
The move follows the government’s decision to increase the feeding grant from GH¢1.50 to GH¢2 per child per meal.
Responding to questions on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, June 24, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, said the tax exemption is intended to ease the financial burden on caterers and enable them to provide more nutritious meals for schoolchildren.
According to her, government has removed the tax component from payments to ensure caterers receive the full approved amount.
“One of the other things we have also done, and we are hoping it will go a long way to relieve caterers, is to remove the tax component in the payment to caterers so that they will have a bit more relief in terms of the money they receive and how they prepare nutritious meals to feed the children,” she said.
Mrs Lartey explained that the intervention forms part of broader efforts to improve both the quality and quantity of meals provided under the programme.
She noted that government remains committed to strengthening the School Feeding Programme, but indicated that further improvements would depend on the availability of resources and additional financial approvals.
The Ghana School Feeding Programme is one of government’s flagship social intervention initiatives aimed at providing daily meals to pupils in public basic schools while promoting enrolment, attendance and retention.
The Ministry believes the latest measures will help enhance the effectiveness of the programme and improve the nutritional welfare of beneficiary pupils across the country.
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