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GETFund releases GH¢199 million for Free SHS feeding arrears
via GhanaWeb2 min read
The Ghana Education Trust Fund has disbursed GH¢199.47 million to senior high school heads to settle outstanding feeding arrears under the Free SHS program. This action follows an emergency stakeholder meeting convened by the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, involving the GETFund Administrator, Paul Adjei, and leaders from the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools and the Conference of Principals of Technical Institutions. The meeting addressed concerns over unpaid bills for perishable food supplies, which had led to threats of school shutdowns. While media reports suggested a disagreement between the Minister and the Administrator, sources clarified that the Administrator instead provided clarity on GETFund’s statutory mandate regarding procurement. The Minister had proposed direct funding to schools for perishable items, but the Administrator explained that procurement responsibilities remain with GETFund under existing frameworks. Despite these procedural discussions, the funds were released directly to school heads for immediate purchase of perishable food items. The payment process experienced delays, with a request from the Ministry of Education to GETFund dated April 10, 2026, following a memo submitted to the Minister in January 2026 that remained in his office for over 10 weeks. This disbursement aims to stabilize feeding operations and prevent academic disruptions.
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