Martinha Gusmao – The Schools Meals Program has not run for four months as the budget for the program has not been transferred.
President of Commission F (education, health, culture, veterans' affairs and gender equality) Deputy Virgilio da Costa Hornai said that the program had not run since March.
"The budget used for the School Meals Program in January and February is from last year state budget," Deputy Faculto said in the National Parliament.
He said reports, required to be submitted by each school to the Ministry of Education, were late, which contributed to the delay.
General Director of Cooperative Work Antoninho Pires said the government had not provided the money for the problem, which was the cause of the stoppage.
"We will exert every effort to make sure the school meals program goes on this week since the Ministry of Finance has allocated the budget for basic education and high schools," he said.
Pires said the budget had now been allocated though he was unsure of the exact figure as it was dependent on the number of children in each school.