Government has released over GHC100 million to clear off part of the senior high school feeding grants which have been piling up for sometime now. The fund which sums up to a total of GH¢ 106, 697, 628. 80 covers feeding arrears for two out of the four outstanding terms.
Information about the release of the school feeding grants was contained in a statement from the Ministry of Finance. According to the statement, the money has been released to the Registrar of Scholarships for payment of feeding grants for second cycle schools.
The statement revealed that the paid amount is meant to take care of the third term feeding grant of 137, 300 students for the 2015/2016 academic year and the first term feeding grant of 140, 264 students for the 2016/2017 academic year.
The ministry further indicated that it is processing the grant for the outstanding two terms of the 2016/2017 academic year; that is second and third terms respectively.
The issue of unpaid school feeding grants has lingered since the time of immediate past President John Dramani Mahama. Concerned authorities such as The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) have threatened time and again to shut down affected senior high schools over the problem in order to move the government into paying them, but all to no avail.
CHASS had revealed that the non-payment of school feeding grants have resulted to huge debts, with many schools resorting to feeding their students on credit; a move that has led to creditors harassing the affected heads of institutions.
But this time around, the Reopening of second cycle schools in the three regions of the north has been indefinitely suspended owing to the unpaid feeding grants. Heads of schools in these regions have vowed never to resume school since after the Easter break until government pays off the accumulated debts. While students in the southern regions have started going to school, those of them in the north were to remain at home till further notice.
However, this news is expected to turn around their decision in no distant time, as long as it turns out to be genuine. The development would also be a good news for suppliers, caterers and other stakeholders along the supply chain of the school feeding program whom have reportedly been suffering untold financial setbacks in their business due to the owed grants.
Below is the statement from the Finance Ministry:
Release of funds for the payment of scholarship claims
Government has released an amount of one hundred and six million and nintety-seven thousands, six hundred and twenty-eight Ghana cedis, eithy pesewas (GH¢ 106.697,682.80) to the Registrar of Scholarships for payment of feeding grants for second cycle schools.
The amount is in respect of the 3rd term feeding grant for 137,300 students for the 2015-2016 academic year, and also for 140,264 students for the first term of 2016/2017 academic year.
The Ministry is processing the remaining claims for the 2016/2017 academic year.
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