Caterers in the Ashanti area who are part of the government’s School Feeding Programme have denied charges made in the Auditor-General’s report that they provide unwholesome food to beneficiaries.
The Auditor-General’s recent performance report shows that caterers were overpaid by GH¢2.3 million between 2017 and 2022.
The report also indicated that caterers serve unhealthy meals and use bad products.
But the caterers have described the contents of the report as inaccurate.
According to them, despite the little pay per child, they endeavour to make healthy and nutritional food.
They admitted that the quantity may not be sufficient, but attributed this to the low sum paid each child.The caterers expressed disappointment that their efforts went unnoticed rather than celebrated.
Dorothy Ofori Sarpong, the Secretary of the Progressive School Feeding Caterers Association of Ghana said “Some of the public are accusing the caterers of stealing the foodstuffs supplied by the government to cook for the children. We are setting the records straight that caterers do prefinance the cooking for the whole year. But the payment is done termly within the year by the School Feeding Secretariat under the Gender Ministry.
“The government does not supply any food items for the caterers to use in cooking for the children. Every school has been attached to a coordinator or coordinators who go around unannounced to inspect and taste the food.
“Although the amount involved per child is insufficient, the caterers are all mothers and will never and ever use unwholesome foodstuff to cook for the children because the caterers eat the same food including some of the teachers.”
“On this note, we are therefore appealing to NGOs and philanthropies across the world to come to the aid of the government to improve the school feeding programme,” she appealed.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
