Caterers for the school feeding programme in the Upper East Region are threatening to stop providing meals for school children if government does not settle the arrears owed them for the past two academic terms.
[contextly_sidebar id=”1NTEYorsuXRpBRioM66yMUxQKK62p8V1″]According to the caterers, some of them took loans from the bank and get foodstuffs on credit to facilitate the progrogramme hence the delay in releasing the monies is making things difficult for them.
Some of the caterers who spoke to Citi News on condition of anonymity stressed that “most of us have borrowed the food and the market women are on us, they need their money. Most of us went for loans and now the interest has accumulated.”
“The most painful thing is that some time when we speak like this and it goes on air, they will come out and pay about thirty days which cannot solve the problem. So your debtors will be on you, you don’t know what to do so is frustrating. We know a lot of caterers who are not cooking ,they can’t cook and the coordinators’ are aware and they can’t go to any school and blame a caterer because it’s not their fault so we want the government to do sometime about it, we are frustrated it’s very painful,” another added.
The caterers also disclosed that most of them have not been cooking for the schools in the last two to six months because they have not be paid and as a result, suppliers are not also willing to give supplies on credit.
Mrs. Atalata Lilian a supplier also told citinews “I has stopped her business because cateress are owing me and I also took a loan from the bank and as at now they are not paying the cateress’ the cateress too cannot pay me so am appealing for government to pay them so that the cateress can pay us if not that next time coming I don’t think we can supply and the cateress too can cook.”
The caterers are however appealing to government to pay them all arrears owed them in order that they can also provide effective services for the school children.
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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana