Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dakoa Newman has given an update on arrears owed school feeding caterers, stating that, the ministry is waiting for approval from the controller and accountant general.
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), James Klutse Avedzi, earlier this week directed the Ministry to pay caterers who provided meals for schools in the Volta Region during the 2019/20 academic year and are yet to receive payment and recover all wrongly paid amounts and deposit them into the Auditor-General’s Recovery Account at the Bank of Ghana.
The Minister, during her appearance before PAC acknowledged the arrears, stating that it was abnormal and that plans are underway to resolve it adding that, the problem is not limited to the Volta Region but is a nationwide issue.
However, during a Minister’s press briefing in Accra on Thursday August 8, 2024, Dakoa Newman mentioned that, her outfit is working to settle arrears as soon as possible.
“Currently we have paid the first term and student just vacated for the second term so we have the second and third term to pay. We are working on getting the second term paid immediately. We would ask the caterers to bare with us. I’m still waiting for controller to give me the go ahead as you know the minister for gender does not make payment without money coming from controller”, she explained.
Additionally, the Minister noted that as soon as the ministry of finance releases funds and the controller sends us the money, the payment will be effected immediately.
Acknowledging the challenges caterers face to provide meals, Dakoa Newman noted that the delays in paying them do not come from the ministry hence assuring them of payment once money is received.
