Executive Director for Africa EducationWatch, Kofi Asare, has called for a proactive and effective approach to deal with debt owed food suppliers under the Free Senior High School (FSHS) programme.

Mr. Asare noted that the debt owed food suppliers has overwhelmingly increased from ₵340million in July this year to about GH₵470million.

This, he said, if not addressed with a comprehensive debt management plan, will take a toll on the quality of food served in the various senior high schools.

Mr. Asare wants the Education and Finance Ministers to urgently initiate a debt management plan to deal with the matter.

“We are calling on the Minister for Education and the Minister of Finance to publicly announce a debt management plan for the rising stockpile of food debt under the Free Senior High School programme,” he said on Newsnight on Wednesday.

Mr. Asare also urged the government to “develop a framework to formalise the contribution from parents because some schools are running because parents are contributing.”

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry has rejected allegations of food shortage in some senior high schools, particularly in the Volta Region.

According to the Ministry, the claims are untrue. 

The Ministry in a statement on Tuesday, October 11, urged the public to disregard same. 

It stated, “all senior high schools in the country have received adequate supply of food items”.

“The Ministry however takes cognisance of recent disruptions within the food supply chain but assures parents and guardians that they have been addressed,” the release stressed.