The GES has also pleaded with beneficiary schools to make judicious use of the subsidies already given to them.
The feeding grant mainly for schools in the three regions in the north, have not been released for nearly three years. In place of that, government offers them what it calls subsidies.
The delays in the release of funds, have compelled the beneficiary schools to delay reopening; a situation which often occurs.
The Ghana Education Service blamed the problem on the dwindling government budget.
"We are facing a world financial crunch and this has affected third world countries including Ghana so we have always been at our wits end in the past four years to have these releases on made on time".
Beneficiary senior high schools have received their subsidies awaiting the feeding grant but school heads have postponed re-opening.
The GES through the Ministry of Education has directed the Finance Ministry to speed the processes for the release of funds.
"As I speak to you, my Minister has made representations to the Ministry of Finance and my Deputy Minister for pre-tertiary too has done the same. We have some assurances that the releases will come soon but I cannot say how soon because I don't hold the national purse".
The GES insists it has no arrears to pay on the feeding grant, and asked schools to make judicious use of the subsidies.
"We are not saying that the money is much; it is just a drop in the ocean because if you compare the overall outlay of the feeding grant to that of subsidy, the feeding grant is far more than subsidy. But we are saying that we are putting in every effort to make sure the Ministry of Finance releases the money".
By:tv3network.com/Ghana
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