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The 2022 Auditor-General’s report has revealed that GH¢831,776.00 from the sale of forms for the Ghana School Feeding Programme during the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 academic years remains unaccounted for.
According to the report, a total of 21,880 application forms were sold at GH¢50 each, generating GH¢1,094,000.00. However, only GH¢262,224.00 was recovered, leaving a significant shortfall of GH¢831,776.00.
A performance audit conducted by the Auditor-General covering the period from 2017 to 2022 on the management of the programme highlighted the unsuccessful attempts by the national coordinator to retrieve the missing funds.
The audit notes, “Within the audit period, the National Secretariat, through the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (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. The MMDCEs sold a total of 21,880 application forms at GH¢50 each and realised a total amount of GH¢1,094,000.00 from the sale. However, the NS recovered GH¢262,224.00. The remaining amount of GH¢831,776.00 was still outstanding as at the time of the audit.”
Efforts to recover the outstanding amount involved the National Coordinator seeking assistance from the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, as well as the Head of Local Government Services. Despite reminders sent to the defaulting MMDCEs to pay the outstanding amount by August 31, 2022, only six out of the 225 MMDCEs had responded by the time of the audit.
