Aburi: The Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) has announced that arrears owed to caterers for the second term of the 2025/2026 academic year will be paid soon after the completion of ongoing validation processes. Hajia Fati Forgor, the National Coordinator of the GSFP, explained that payments were delayed due to necessary administrative procedures involving data verification and auditing.
According to Ghana News Agency, Hajia Forgor assured the media on the sidelines of a three-day training of trainers under the GSFP School Connect initiative in Aburi, Eastern Region. She clarified that data from schools is being compiled, verified, and audited at various levels before the disbursement of payments. The training aims to equip trainers to disseminate knowledge to regional, district, and school-level actors to improve the implementation of the Programme.
The initiative also includes efforts to pilot and roll out a digital monitoring and evaluation system, 'School Connect,' designed to enhance data collection, reporting, transparency, and efficiency. This initiative is supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) with funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
Hajia Forgor highlighted that the GSFP previously relied on a manual reporting system, which contributed to delays in processing payments. She stated that the new digital system would help reduce such delays and improve timeliness. Data collection will now occur from the school level, with daily report sheets compiled at the district level, sent to the region, and finally to the national level for verification before payments are made.
The GSFP initially introduced a digitalisation initiative in 2019 with WFP support but faced challenges, including gaps in real-time monitoring and nutrition tracking. Hajia Forgor noted that the new system would enhance monitoring and accountability by enabling real-time data collection and oversight.
She emphasized that the Programme is essential to the government, being a lifeline for many Ghanaian children. Monitoring will continue at the national level to verify data submitted electronically from districts, ensuring caterers adhere strictly to approved menus.
Madam Aurore Rusiga, WFP Country Director, emphasized school feeding as a key investment in human capital, improving nutrition, learning outcomes, and food security. The School Connect platform, already used in over 20 countries, enables real-time tracking of enrolment, attendance, meals served, and food supplies.
Mr Donghyun Lee, Country Director of KOICA, reaffirmed support for Ghana's school feeding programme through digital innovation to enhance transparency and efficiency. Meanwhile, Madam Constance Baah, Head of the Social Protection Unit at the Ministry of Finance, stated that the initiative would strengthen public financial management by improving data quality for budgeting, payments, and accountability.