Problems And Prospects of Ghana School Feeding Programme

THE EXECUTIVE Chairman for the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), Dr. Kwame Amoaku Tuffuor, has stated that lack of legislation in addition to political interference, is seriously hampering the smooth running of the programme.

According to him, having realized the importance of the programme, which was supported by all the political parties, it would be necessary that a fund is not only set up by the government to sustain it, just as it was made to sustain the GETFund, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Bulk Oil Storage Transport (BOST) and others but also concerted efforts should be made to debar political interference in the programme.

Advocating for a law to be passed by Parliament to help raise money to sustain the GSFP, he said, "Having seen the importance of this policy and its stimulation of the economy, thus bottom-up and bottom-down, it becomes obvious that it must be sustained just like the way GETFund, BOST and NHIS were supported through some taxes."

"Ghana School Feeding Programme, probably being the most sensitive and important, should be supported by a portion of the national tax because the programme falls within," he disclosed in an interview with this paper.

Dr. Amoaku Tufuor, in an interaction with this paper on a wide range of issues including the prospects, challenges and achievements of the government's policy on the School Feeding Programme among others, averred that the funding should be borne by the ruling government.

As to how the fund could be set up, he said, "a trust fund for the school feeding can be set up where corporate bodies, philanthropists and individuals can contribute to the fund through central government."

He also advocated the need to establish a national food security network with structures, which he said, would buy surplus food, stock it and later supply it to the schools for the children's upkeep.

The Executive Chairman underscored that, as his outfit is geared towards purchasing of locally manufactured rice, they are faced with the 'common jargon' that locally produced rice was more expensive than others. "We are making sure that they are reasonably priced and will be more competitive. The level of production and economic growth of this country would enhance development and we are doing all that we can to make sure that local products are patronized."

To him, by the policy of the government, the GSFP was encouraging all rice, millet and maize growers in the Volta, Northern and other Regions to continue to produce, whilst the GSFP would market the produce for them.

Touching on the success story of the GSFP, Dr. Amoaku Tuffuor said, the programme has not only created massive enrolment and good health to the children but created over 500, 000 jobs.

He said it has also created market and industrial growth in the country where locally produced products are purchased by the coordinators to feed the children.

Dr. Amoaku Tuffuor told this paper that in spite of bringing the truant students back to the classrooms to continue with their education, the operators of the GSFP have been seen as the best in Africa just after 11 months of inception.

To this end, he said the Executive Chairman of Ghana's School Feeding Programme, has been chosen as the first President of Africa Network of School Feeding Programmes and has been invited by other international organizations to tell them about Ghana's success story.

Asked about the need for the GSFP, he said, it creates a healthy situation and lets the children grow to become future leaders.

"It is creating markets for the locally produced rice and other products. It is helping the children to get basic education especially the needy and above all it helps bring the truants back to the classrooms."

Dr. Amoaku Tuffuor, however, slammed bureaucrats at the ministries tasked to help in the sustainability of the programme.

Link to allAfrica.com: Ghana: Problems And Prospects of Ghana School Feeding Programme (Page 1 of 1)