Caterers of the School Feeding Program want the government to keep to a directive for them to continue their contracts till the end of the 2024/2025 academic year.
A letter issued on May 2 truncated the contracts of all caterers, despite an earlier directive to the contrary.
President of Concerned School Feeding Caterers Association, Gifty Asamoah, says members have already procured all foodstuffs for the term.
“You have seen the foodstuffs we have purchased. Fish, groundnuts, and others have been purchased from Ejura. The foodstuffs were to be shared among us, we stopped the truck after the present information was received. We have lost a lot of money,” she said.
According to caterers under the school feeding program, they took a decision to suspend their services after the change of government.
But the decision was rescinded following a communication asking them to complete the 2024/2025 academic year.
President of Concerned School Feeding Caterers Association, Gifty Asamoah, says the government’s decision to truncate the contract after the earlier communication is worrying.
“After the change of government, we had moved to take away our utensils from the schools. But we were told an agreement had been reached for us to continue till the end of the academic year. I had already taken out my utensils, so I returned them,” she said.
The caterers were relieved of their posts in a letter released on 2nd May. The communication came three working days to the commencement of the new term.
At the time, the caterers had commenced preparations to provide meals for basic school pupils.
Many had already purchased foodstuffs to prepare meals for students.
At Krapa in the Ejisu Municipality, one of the caterers has already purchased most of the foodstuff needed for the term.
Dried fish, vegetables and canned foodstuffs are all procured in large quantities for the execution of contracts.
The fear is that the foodstuff will rot away if the contract is not executed.
“We are only pleading with the President. If they had communicated this early, we wouldn’t have gone to the market. It came too late. You have seen the money we have spent, where do we take these foodstuffs after the termination of the contract?” Mrs. Asamoah added.
The Progressive School Feeding Caterers Association in the Ashanti Region took a loan as a group to procure food items in bulk.
They had to stop the goods from being transported to Kumasi after the communication that canceled the contract.
The fear is that the suppliers will not refund the money paid for the produce.
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