The Finance Ministry has released GH31 million to pay arrears owed school feeding caterers in the various regions.

President Nana Akufo-Addo said this on Takoradi-based radio, Skyypower FM on Saturday, September 4, 2021, while answering questions on threats by caterers to strike.

The President, who was speaking before the start of his second day tour of the Western Region admitted that there were initial challenges with insufficient funds.

He however expressed the hope that the problem would be addressed, following the intervention of the Ministry of Finance.

“I am happy to announce that payments have been made to caterers in all the regions. It is true that caterers in the Western and Western North were not paid due to insufficient funds. That has been resolved. The Ministry of Finance has released GHS 31 million cedis for the payment of caterers.”

A few days ago some aggrieved caterers working under the Ghana School Feeding Programme threatened to stop cooking for students if the government fails to increase the feeding grant to three cedis per head.

The caterers said the GHS1.00 allocated to children under the programme is woefully inadequate and unfair.

The women, who are part of a group calling itself ‘Touch one Touch all’ Caterers Association, say they were disappointed in the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Adwoa Safo, for failing to address their concerns.

One of the aggrieved caterers who spoke to Citi News on condition of anonymity said they have vowed not to cook until they hear from the government.

“We do not even know where Adwoa Safo is. She does not do anything about school feeding. You call for meetings and she will not come. We worked since January, and we were paid just on the 25th of this month.”