‘Food shortages in SHSs due to suppliers’ fear of losing contracts’

The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare says suppliers of foodstuffs to the country’s second-cycle institutions under the School Feeding Programme are concerned about the future of their contracts. This uncertainty has led to a shortage of food in the schools.

He explained that the current food shortages in schools stem from the suppliers’ fear of losing their contracts under the new administration.

“The issue with school feeding is a liquidity challenge. However, within the context of this challenge, the immediate problem is the reluctance of suppliers who are unsure about the future of their contracts,” Asare noted.

Mr. Asare suggested that a statement from the new government assuring suppliers that their contracts will not be terminated could help ease the situation.

“A statement from the new government affirming that the contracts are not automatically terminated, and that suppliers will be paid, would provide some degree of comfort to those in the food supply chain. This reassurance could reverse the current situation,” he explained.

He added that such a statement from the John Mahama administration would restore normalcy in the schools, enabling food suppliers to provide enough food for the students.

“It is possible that once such a statement is issued, things will improve. That is what we need right now. In the long term, we must address the liquidity issues,” he said during a media interaction.

The Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS) has urged parents and guardians to assist with the feeding challenges in senior high schools.

According to CHASS, there is not enough food to feed students as they have resumed school, and the situation is particularly dire in some regions

Source: Richard Nana Appiah Kubi/Ahotoronline.com