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, in a move aimed at improving the quality of meals served to pupils in public basic schools.
The decision follows the government’s recent increase in the feeding grant from GH¢1.50 to GH¢2 per child per meal.
Responding to questions in Parliament on Wednesday, June 24, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, explained that the tax exemption is intended to ensure caterers receive the full approved amount without deductions.
“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 her, the intervention is part of broader reforms to strengthen the Ghana School Feeding Programme and improve both the quality and quantity of meals provided to pupils.
She added that further improvements to the programme will depend on available funding and government financial clearance.
The Ghana School Feeding Programme continues to serve as one of the country’s key social intervention policies, providing daily meals to pupils in public basic schools while supporting enrolment, attendance, and retention.
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