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The school feeding system is hanging in the balance as contractors responsible for supplying food to government boarding schools threaten to suspend operations due to overdue payments from the Ministry of Finance.
According to several suppliers, no payments have been received since January of last year, despite the government owing substantial sums. Many of these contractors—mostly Sierra Leoneans—say they borrowed heavily from banks to fulfill their contracts, with some using personal properties as collateral. Now, without urgent payment, they say they cannot continue deliveries.
The impact could be severe. Principals of government boarding schools have raised alarms, saying their schools may not be able to reopen in September without food supplies. The crisis also threatens the national school feeding program, which provides meals to primary school pupils across the country.
“These contractors took out massive bank loans, some using their homes as collateral to finance their contracts,” a senior official at the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education revealed. “Without urgent intervention from the Ministry of Finance, they risk losing their properties.”
The situation has drawn international attention. Senior officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Freetown have reportedly urged the Ministry of Finance to prioritize funding for the program. “From the reports we’ve seen in the local press, it’s clear that the program is in danger,” an IMF representative reportedly told Finance Ministry officials last week.
While a Ministry of Finance spokesperson confirmed that the school feeding program remains a government priority, no timeline has been given for the payment of arrears. The spokesperson said investigations are ongoing.
