Monies have started hitting the accounts of caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme, the National President of the School Feeding Caterers Association, Nana Amoh Otu Sekyi, has confirmed.
This development comes after a promise made by the Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Dakoa Newman, to settle the long-awaited third-term payments.
In an interview with Citi News, Nana Amoh Otu Sekyi shared that some caterers have successfully accessed their payments, which were made late on December 31, 2024, while others have faced delays due to bank holidays and limited banking services in rural areas.
“By the grace of God, they honoured their promise and paid on December 31 around 6:00 pm. Some caterers were able to access the funds on January 1. However, others faced challenges because of the bank holidays and remote locations,” Sekyi explained.
He added that while some caterers have reported successful transactions, full access may be completed by January 2, 2025, when banks resume full operations.
In addition to this, Nana Amoh Otu Sekyi expressed hope that the longstanding issue of unpaid salaries from 2019 would soon be resolved. “The chief accountant contacted me on December 31 about the 2019 arrears. I am hopeful that by next week, we will receive positive updates,” he said.
The caterers’ association remains optimistic about the government fulfilling its promise to settle the arrears in full.