The National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) has clamped down on cheating in the supply of food to schools across the country.

It has supplied 800 weighing scales to the Ministry of Education to distribute to all schools across the country.

The schools are to use the scales to weigh food items supplied them to ensure they receive the appropriate quantity.

This is expected to eliminate cheating in the food supplied to the schools.

Speaking at the handing over of these scales, the sector minister, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh said that these scales should have been purchased earlier to address the underweight supply of food. However, “It's better late than never.”

“We kept getting complaint from schools that the weight of food supplied from NAFCO was not of the required weight. To deal with this quantity issue we purchased these scales; so ones the schools are supplied food they can weigh it to know the right quantity.

“We hope that with these scales there'll not be any excuse for a school to say the food supplied was under weight,” the minister noted.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NAFCO, Hanan Abdul-Wahab also mentioned that the purchase of these scales went through competitive consideration “so we got it cheaper.”

Commenting on the cost of the scale, he said without the duty, each cost about US$800.

Mr. Abdul-Wahab indicated that the distribution of the scale would solve the issue of the underweight food supplied to schools.

“This scale has been well calibrated so it can't be adjusted in any way.

Periodically my outfit will pay unannounced visit to these schools to know how things are faring.

"These scales will be distributed as soon as possible. This stock you see here is for Greater Accra. We've transported the rest to the various regions; it'll be housed at our regional warehouses for collection," the CEO said.

The 800 weighing-scales are going to be distributed to 720 Senior High Schools.