Credit: Kekeli K. Blamey
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has rejected claims that the previous NPP government left unpaid arrears to school feeding caterers before exiting office.
According to Afenyo-Markin, the government paid all caterers for the last term, and the current term’s payments are outstanding only because the term has just begun.
Afenyo-Markin’s rebuttal was in response to Finance Minister-designate Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s criticism of the treatment of school feeding caterers during his vetting before Parliament’s
Appointments Committee. Dr. Ato Forson described the payment situation as “woefully inadequate” and cited a protest by caterers on December 30, 2024, demanding payment of arrears for two academic terms covering 2023 and 2024.
However, Afenyo-Markin insisted that the NPP government cleared all outstanding debts to caterers before leaving office. He clarified that while the government released funds to cover 72 days owed to caterers, the actual payment received by the caterers was for 42 days, leaving 32 days outstanding.
Afenyo-Markin’s assertions contradict claims by some caterers that they have not received payment for their services. However, it’s worth noting that the government had previously settled arrears owed to caterers under the School Feeding Programme.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection had also disbursed funds to caterers for the first term of the 2023/2024 academic year.
