“We have settled all arrears owed to caterers under the School Feeding Programme, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has said.
Mr Ofori-Atta made this known during the 2023 Mid-Year Budget review presentation in Parliament on Monday, July 31.
“Under the Ghana School Feeding Programme, coverage increased considerably from 1,671,777 beneficiaries in 2016 to 3,801,491 beneficiaries by June 2023. The feeding grants cost per meal, per child, per day increased from GH¢1.00 to GH¢1.20 for the 2023 academic year.
“We have also settled all arrears owed to caterers under the programme for the second and third terms of the 2022 academic year; and the first term of 2023,” he said.
The Minister also pledged the government’s commitment to continue to sustain social protection programmes to protect the poor and the vulnerable.
“Under the LEAP programme, Government disbursed a total of GH¢169.95 million as of June 2023 to 346,019 households comprising 1,533,748 individuals. This includes the increase of the monthly grant to beneficiary households from GH¢32.00 to GH¢64.00 for one-member household and GH¢38.00 to GH¢76.00 for two-member households. Our target under this programme period is to reach about 8 percent of the population, that is 2.5 million people,” he added.
The caterers declared a national strike on April 27, over government’s failure to pay them their arrears and increase the amount paid per child from 97 pesewas to GH¢3.50.
The caterers insisted they will not be moved by empty promises this time.
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