Caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme supervised by the Ministry of Gender and Children and Social Protection staged a protest at the Ministry on Monday, December 30, demanding payment of arrears for two academic terms—the third term of 2023 and the first term of 2024.

The caterers, who travelled from across the country, accused the government of failing to honour its promises despite assurances from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department that funds had been released to the Ministry.

President of the School Feeding Caterers Association, Nana Sekyi Amoh, described the situation as dire, noting the substantial arrears owed.

“It’s a huge amount. I can’t give an exact figure, but it’s very huge,” she stated. “We are requesting our two-term pay—third term and first term.”

The caterers, who pre-finance the programme, revealed that the delayed payments have left them heavily indebted to suppliers and creditors.

“We owe our creditors, and they are on us. You know how creditors come after you when you owe them for a long time,” Amoh lamented.

The group accused the government of making repeated unfulfilled promises regarding the payments.

“Since August, they said our money was ready. After the third term in September, they assured us we would be paid in November. November came, and we received nothing. Now December is ending, and there is still no communication,” Amoh said.

The caterers expressed scepticism over a recent government statement promising payments by December 31, citing the lack of an official signature on the statement.

“We’ve seen the statement, but we don’t trust them anymore because they’ve been lying to us for too long,” Amoh added.

The protestors emphasized that their demonstration was intended to compel the government to address their grievances and provide clarity on the status of the arrears.

“We need accountability. They can’t keep making promises and leaving us in debt,” one caterer remarked.

As of the time of this report, the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection had not issued an official response.

The caterers, however, have vowed to sustain their efforts until their demands are met, insisting on immediate action to resolve the financial crisis they face.

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Controller and Accountant's Department has given the assurance that the funds have been made available for payment.

He assured that the money would be paid by the close of today