The School Feeding Secretariat has called for calm among caterers amidst growing complaints of underpayment related to the recent payment of arrears for the first term of the 2023/2024 academic year.
The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, disbursed payments covering 54 official cooking days out of the total 58 days in the term, due to a directive that required caterers to use the initial four days to clean their kitchen environments.
Caterers were compensated at the rate of GHS 1.20 per child per day for the 54 cooking days, commencing on October 9, 2023, instead of the planned start date of October 3, 2023.
This adjustment resulted in deductions for the four non-cooking days.
Despite the payments, some caterers across all 16 regions have reported issues of alleged underpayment.
In response, the National Secretariat has advised caterers who have experienced such discrepancies to report their concerns to their respective Regional Coordinators for immediate investigation and resolution.
The Secretariat emphasized its commitment to thoroughly investigate the issues to ensure that all caterers are accurately compensated for the days they provided meals.
The National Secretariat expressed appreciation for the caterers’ patience and dedication despite delays and underpayment issues and assured them of efforts to resolve any discrepancies promptly.