The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has disbursed GH¢199.47 million to settle outstanding payments to food suppliers for the Free Senior High School (SHS) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs. The payments cover arrears from October 2023 to February 2024 for SHS and through December 2023 for TVET schools, aiming to secure uninterrupted delivery of perishable food items nationwide, according to reports from MyJoyOnline.
The release of these funds follows ongoing disputes and delays that threatened school feeding supplies, prompting fears of school shutdowns. The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has confirmed the funds are expected to be credited soon, assuring that senior high schools will remain operational while urging for stronger funding mechanisms to avoid future delays.
Despite this payment, CHASS leaders have stressed that the funding issues are recurring challenges that require sustained dialogue among stakeholders. Recent negotiations involving Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu and GETFund ended in deadlock, particularly over procurement policies, contributing to funding disruptions and uncertainty around the feeding program.
Prior to the disbursement, CHASS warned that continued delays in releasing feeding funds risked forcing school closures, posing risks to the academic calendar. The association maintains its advisory role and advocates for more effective engagement to resolve disputes and stabilize the Free SHS feeding program.
Moving forward, attention will focus on whether this injection of funds will fully resolve the supply interruptions and how stakeholders will handle outstanding disagreements around procurement procedures. The sustainability of Ghana’s Free SHS feeding initiative depends on preventing future funding gaps and ensuring timely payments to suppliers, making continued monitoring critical.
Primus Baro
CHASS
GetFund
National Food Buffer Stock Company
Haruna Iddrisu
Ghana Education Trust Fund
Ghana
