The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has announced the removal of taxes on payments made to caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme, a move aimed at enhancing the quality of meals provided to pupils across the country.
The measure comes on the back of the government’s recent decision to increase the feeding grant from GH¢1.50 to GH¢2 per child per meal.
Responding to questions on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, June 24, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, said the tax exemption is expected to ease the financial burden on caterers and enable them to provide more nutritious meals for beneficiaries of the programme.
She explained that the government had removed the tax component from payments to ensure caterers receive the full approved amount.
“One of the other things we have also done, and we are hoping it will go a long way to relieve caterers, is to remove the tax component in the payment to caterers so that they will have a bit more relief in terms of the money they receive and how they prepare nutritious meals to feed the children,” she said.
According to the Minister, the intervention forms part of broader efforts to improve both the quality and quantity of meals served under the programme.
She added that further enhancements to the School Feeding Programme would depend on the availability of resources and additional financial clearances from government.
The Ghana School Feeding Programme remains one of the government’s flagship social intervention initiatives, providing daily meals to pupils in public basic schools while supporting enrolment, attendance and retention.
