Government plans to increase the number of schools that would benefit from the ongoing Ghana School Feeding Programme(GSFP), Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, said in Accra.
He said "to reiterate the manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to expand coverage to include all public level education, the Ministry has put in place measures to realize the ultimate objective as and when resources are available."
Mr Chireh said this in answer to a question on the floor of parliament tabled by Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, member for Sunyani East, who asked the Minister what plans the Ministry had to expand the school feeding programme to cover all primary schools in the country.
Mr Chireh said the overall goal was to cover all public primary schools, adding however that this would be in phases with the most deprived communities considered as top priority.
He explained that the NDC manifesto was a document of intentions of the party so that when one looks at it those intentions should be
realistically translated into objectives and policies.
Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, member for Navrongo Central, asked the Minister why caterers for the Programme were being asked to re-apply, while the
caterers and food suppliers of other educational institutions were not being told to do likewise.
Mr Chireh said the operations of the caterers under the Programme, unlike other caterers and food suppliers of other educational institutions whose employment or engagement was under different terms, never had their appointment regularized.
However, as it was the vision of government to ensure transparency and to strengthen the management and operations of the programme, the need to regularize these appointments called for re-application by the caterers.
He said in view of this, a model contract was prepared by the Ministry and circulated to all District Assemblies for adoption.
Mr Kwame Ampofo Twumasi, member for Nkoranza South, wanted to know when Nkoranza South District Assembly would be upgraded to a Municipality.
Mr Chireh said the statistical service would be conducting the national population census later this year and the out come would determine whether they meet the population threshold of 95,000, adding that the area
also had to meet other additional criteria to qualify to be a Municipality.