- GH¢831,776.00 missing from Ghana School Feeding Programme.
- Only GH¢262,224.00 recovered from application form sales.
- National Coordinator's efforts to retrieve funds unsuccessful.
- Lack of accountability and transparency in fund management.
The 2022 Auditor-General’s report has revealed a shocking discovery regarding the Ghana School Feeding Programme. An amount of GH¢831,776.00 realised from the sale of application forms for the selection of caterers for the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 academic years has gone missing.
The report shows that 21,880 application forms were sold at GH¢50 each, generating a total of GH¢1,094,000.00. However, only GH¢262,224.00 was recovered, leaving a significant amount unaccounted for.
The performance audit report conducted by the Auditor-General for the period 2017 to 2022 on the management of the programme revealed that the national coordinator attempted to retrieve the remaining GH¢831,776.00 but was unsuccessful.
According to the report, the National Secretariat, through the MMDAs, advertised nationwide in 2017 for prospective caterers to apply to provide catering services to beneficiary schools for the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 academic years.
A total of 21,880 application forms were sold at GH¢50 each, generating a total amount of GH¢1,094,000.00. However, only GH¢262,224.00 was recovered, leaving a significant amount outstanding.
The report indicates that the National Coordinator, through the Sector Ministry, sought the assistance of the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGD&RD), and the Head of the Local Government Services to retrieve the outstanding amount from the affected MMDCEs.
A reminder was also sent to the defaulting MMDCEs to pay the outstanding amount by 31 August 2022. However, as at the time of the audit, only six of the 225 MMDCEs had responded.
The report highlights a lack of accountability and transparency in the management of the programme’s funds. The missing amount of GH¢831,776.00 is a significant portion of the total funds generated from the sale of application forms.
The Auditor-General’s report has raised concerns about the management of the Ghana School Feeding Programme and the need for urgent action to address the issues identified. The report’s findings highlight the need for improved accountability, transparency, and oversight in the management of public funds to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
