Hunger Looms As Ghana School Feeding Caterers Struggle With Debts

The School Feeding Caterers Association in Ghana has reported that its members are struggling with mounting debts that are threatening their businesses.

According to the association, the Ghanaian government owes them money from the last academic year, leaving many of them unable to purchase food and other essentials on credit.

This situation has caused the caterers to be seen as liars, as they have made repeated promises to pay once schools reopen, but have not been able to fulfill them.

In an interview with local radio show GhanaAkoma, a member of the association in the Ashanti Region spoke anonymously and explained that caterers are being left with GHp97 per child, which is not enough to cover costs, including the 3 percent tax they have to pay. Despite raising concerns about this issue, nothing has been done to address it.

Caterers are being forced to take out loans to buy food, as they are unable to purchase goods on credit. This has put them in a precarious financial position, with many at risk of having to close their businesses.

Furthermore, three weeks after schools reopened, caterers are still unable to start operations, which has led to a drop in attendance at some basic schools in the Ashanti Region.

The high cost of living in Ghana, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, has made this situation even more dire. Children who rely on school feeding programs are appealing to the government to pay the caterers to enable them to cook for pupils.

The School Feeding Caterers Association is calling on the government to increase the amount it pays per child to ensure that caterers can provide adequate meals without incurring debts.

The association is also requesting that the government pays its outstanding debts to caterers from the last academic year. Failure to address these issues could have severe consequences for both caterers and schoolchildren, exacerbating poverty in the country.