Sacked caterers under the School Feeding Program on Tuesday picketed at the Gender Ministry demanding full payment for 125 days of feeding school children in public schools.

A leader of the Concerned Caterers, Dela Agbenyu maintained they have only received 7-days payment for the work done in the second and third terms of the 2015/2016 academic year.

Dressed in red, the caterers said after more than 1,000 of them were sacked, the government is adding insult to injury by the continued delays in the payment of arrears.

"They have taken the job from us and they haven't paid us for our second third term", she told Joy News Tuesday.

She said two deadlines provided by the Gender and Social Protection Minister, Otiko Djaba have been missed after a July assurance to pay and a September pledge elapsed to their chagrin.

After a two-hour wait, the administrator of the Ghana School Feeding Program Dr Kwame Adu-Nsiah emerged from a meeting to explain the causes of the delay.

GSFP Coordinator, Dr Kwame Adu-Nsiah

He said the Gender and Social Protection Ministry does not have funds lodged in its account for the caterers. He said the Ministry looks up to the Finance Ministry to disburse payments.

The Coordinator, however, assured the caterers, the government will pay them by the end of November.

He however maintained, the caterers have been paid 16 days, not seven as claimed by the caterers.

While admitting to the delays, the Coordinator would not admit, the delay smacks of insensitivity to the plight of the caterers.

He explained that since March, the government has released about 151million cedis to pay off arrears. This is a "monumental" commitment to settle arrears.

The balance outstanding, he said, is less than the amount paid as far.