Ducth government injects more funds into school feeding programme

25-09-09
Bacp Page

THE Dutch Government has released GH¢ 12,835,473 for the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFC).
The Dutch Government has also approved the final audit report of the School Feeding Programme for the financial year 2008.
According to a letter signed by Mr Michiel Pierkens, the Head of Development Co-operation of the Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, the money was for the funding of the financial year 2009.
The letter dated September 15, 2009, said the money was to be used for the purchase of locally-grown cooking commodities for the School Feeding Programme.
“I am also happy to inform you of the embassy’s transer of an amount of GH¢ 12,835,473 to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, to continue with the Ghana School Feeding Programme,” the letter addressed to the Chief Director of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development said.
The re-opening of basic schools last week was characterised by confusion in the implementation of the school feeding programme across the country.
The chaos, which resulted in some schools being fed with extra food while others did not have any at all, also drew a sharp wedge between the then National Co-ordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Mr Nsowah, and the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr Alfred Vanderpuije.
While Mr Vanderpuije blamed the problem on caterers who used to cook for the schools but whose contracts had been abrogated, Mr Nsowah deplored the timing of the decision to recruit new caterers for the programme.