All school feeding arrears settled – Ofori-Atta reveals

Caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) have had all their arrears paid, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has revealed.

Delivering the 2023 Mid-Year Budget review on Monday, July 31, Mr Ofori-Atta said the government will continue to sustain social protection programmes to protect the poor and the vulnerable.

“Under the LEAP programme, Government disbursed a total of GH¢169.95 million as at June 2023 to 346,019 households comprising 1,533,748 individuals. This includes the increase of the monthly grant to beneficiary households from GH¢32.00 to GH¢64.00 for one-member household and GH¢38.00 to GH¢76.00 for two-member households. Our target under this programme period is to reach about 8 per cent of the population, that is 2.5 million people.

“Under the Ghana School Feeding Programme, coverage increased considerably from 1,671,777 beneficiaries in 2016 to 3,801,491 beneficiaries by June 2023. The feeding grants cost per meal, per child, per day increased from GH¢1.00 to GH¢1.20 for the 2023 academic year. We have also settled all arrears owed to caterers under the programme for the second and third terms of the 2022 academic year; and the first term of 2023.

“The Capitation Grant contributed to increased enrolment in public basic schools from 6,048,897 pupils for the 2021/2022 academic year to 6,114,302 pupils for the 2022/2023 academic year.”