Naa Momo Lartey Pledges to Clear 31-Day Arrears in School Feeding Program Payments as Gender Minister
Accra, Ghana - 22 Jan, 2025 - Ghana's Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has pledged to address the long-standing issues plaguing the country's school feeding program. The program has faced criticism over unpaid arrears to caterers and concerns about the quality of meals served to schoolchildren.
During her vetting by the Appointments Committee on Wednesday, Naa Momo assured Ghanaians that she would tackle these challenges head-on, ensuring the program's effective implementation. She revealed that the government aims to extend the program to private schools, addressing bottlenecks in school feeding and capitation grants.
Naa Momo acknowledged that while some payments have been made, approximately 31 days' worth of arrears remain outstanding. She expressed her commitment to resolving this issue, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and open dialogue with stakeholders to find lasting solutions.
The Minister-designate also stressed the need to prioritize the quality of food provided through the program, highlighting her strength in fostering dialogue to achieve sustainable outcomes. With the president's commitment to maintaining the program and upholding food quality, Naa Momo expressed confidence in the program's future success.
“Our manifesto clearly outlines our goal to address the bottlenecks in school feeding and capitation grants. We even aim to extend the program to private schools,” she disclosed.
“From my checks, about 40 days of payments have been made, but 31 days remain in arrears. This is something I am committed to resolving.”
“One of my strengths is fostering dialogue with all involved to achieve sustainable outcomes. With payments already initiated, I am confident that the president is committed to not only maintaining the program but also ensuring the quality of food is upheld,” she added.
Source: Lead News Online
