Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President, has announced intentions to digitize the School Feeding Program in April in order to detect and address corruption concerns related to policy execution.
When it is fully operational, the system will monitor what students are served at all times to assure the quality of meals and the validity of claims.
Mr. Bawumia noted at the Fijai Senior High School’s 70th anniversary celebration in Takoradi that the ‘e-feeding’ scheme will help minimize future misappropriation of funds.
He went on to say that the digital system will also handle some concerns, such as ‘ghost schools and ghost children.’
“Next month, we are digitizing the school feeding program. We looked at it last week; it’s all set. We will know every school in the country; every day if you feed them with rice and beans, we will know; how many students you have fed we will know.”
“There will be no room for [corruption] in the school feeding program after we launch this program next month,” he said.
Dr. Bawumia stated that the government’s digital program has achieved great progress in the country’s transformation.
He advised opponents of the Akufo-Addo government not to cast doubt on the efficiency of the yet-to-be-launched ‘e-feeding’ scheme.
“We are doing so much for the first time, and we need to understand that we are changing this country, we are transforming this country, let nobody tell us we cannot do it,” he added.
Meanwhile, the government has halted the extension of the School Feeding Program to allow caterers’ debts to be paid.
Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the Caretaker Gender Minister, revealed this on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, March 2.
In response to a query from Yilo Krobo Member of Parliament Albert Tetteh Nyarkotey, she stated that “the expansion of the program is currently on hold.”
“We are clearing all arrears of caterers and putting in place measures to ensure effective and efficient service delivery to all beneficiary schools as well as the caterers.”
“We are also putting in place a management information system to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of the system. We shall surely inform this august House when we are ready to expand the program to cover additional schools,” she said.
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SOURCE: myjoyonline
