By Priscilla Oye Ofori
Accra, June 6, 2023, GNA – Mrs Lariba Zuweira Abudu, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has appealed to the Caterers of the Ghana School Feeding Programme to call off their strike.
She said they would receive the payments of their arrears for the third term of the 2022 academic year within the week.
The Minister made the appeal when they met with the executives of the Ghana School Feeding Caterers Association in Accra to discuss their grievances and issues of the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
This comes after the caterers under the Programme refused to go back to cook for the school children until they were paid their arrears.
They also demanded an increment in their charge per child from 97 pesewas to GHC 3 to meet rising costs of food stuff.
Mrs Abudu said “… And I am happy we had a very fruitful discussion. We had a friendly sisterly discussions and then as I promised you, the money by tomorrow or tomorrow next should hit your accounts. Everything has been done so you will receive your money tomorrow or tomorrow next, I assure you. So I will plead with you to go back and then continue your cooking.”
She assured them the Ministry would take their grievances on board and address them as they continued to work together.
Madam Juliana Cudjoe, President of the Greater Accra School Feeding Caterers Association, commended the President, Minister and Management of the School Feeding Secretariat for “hearing their voice.”
“We have had a fruitful meeting and we are assuring our members that very soon the money would hit their accounts, as our Minister has said, and the President has assured us that as we are moving along, they will do something about the 20 per cent increase proposal,” she stated.
The Ghana School Feeding Programme, an intervention by the Government of Ghana started in 2005 to provide food to children in public basic schools, from kindergarten to primary six.
The Programme was concieved and implemented to increase school enrolment, attendance and retention, reduce short-term hunger and malnutrition and boost domestic food production.
GNA