World cup caterers demand for more cash

…after bagging $19,200 each as profit for 2 weeks’ job

The three caterers engaged to prepare meals for Black Stars’ supporters in Brazil took home a whooping US$19,200 as profit for two weeks’ work. But they are demanding for more money despite the fact that all their expenses including airfare, accommodation and ground transportation in Brazil for 4 persons from each of the three catering services were fully borne by the state.

This was revealed last week at the Presidential Commission of Enquiry into Ghana’s participation at the World Cup in Brazil.

The three caterers engaged by government to cook for the supporters were Kenkey Boutique at Adabraka, Monees Foods in Osu and Amber Foods, Trade Fair. They insisted they deserved to be given additional more money for their services.

Horace Ankrah

According to the Chairman of the Grounds, Events and Logistics Sub-committee for the 2014 World Cup, Horace Nii Ayi Ankrah, the caterers were paid 57, 600 ($51,600 plus an initial $6,000) instead of the agreed $321,300 because government provided them with cooking items for the whole 15 days.

Even though he admitted that the initial agreement with caterers was that they were supposed to buy their own items in Brazil to prepare the food, things changed when they reached the South American country.

“I do not know why things changed when they reached Brazil. I was not in Brazil so I cannot speak to that issue,” Mr Ankrah told the commission.

Per the initial agreement, the caterers were to receive $321,300 from which they would buy their own food items in cooking their meals.

The Facts

The caterers went to Brazil as part of the advanced team. They got to Natal, Ghana supporters host city later than planned because of flight problems.

Naturally, they could not source foodstuffs and ingredients early enough to cater for supporters who were due a few hours after their own arrival.

The Planning Committee members on the ground therefore arranged for the hotel to cook breakfast and lunch for supporters on the first day. However, Ghanaian caterers cooked supper the evening that day.

The system in Brazil is not like Ghana. For example, you cannot carry cash beyond a certain amount, and so on. The money was paid to an agency, which then transferred it directly into the supermarkets’ accounts, to enable caterers to make purchases even under emergency situations.

The items ordered are supplied in bulk to the Supporters Camp, ‘Madunas.’

At the end of the period for Ghana’s participation, the Supermarkets presented the record of the total items bought.

This was deducted from the total amount negotiated with the caterers (total of $35 for each supporter per day). The amount was equally shared among the three caterers who were recruited for the project.

The average of 540 supporters was used to calculate the number of supporters for the meals because their numbers fluctuated. For example,

DAY 1: 13th June 2014, 197 supporters arrived from Ghana.

DAY 2: 14th June 2014, 260 arrived from Ghana

DAY 3: 15th June 2014, 155 supporters arrived from Ghana

During the last three days,

27th June 2014, 65 supporters left camp for Ghana

28th June 2014, 255 departed

29th June 2014, 182 departed

In between those dates, when the system in the camp found out that some people had infiltrated, they started leaving.

From the evidence of the chairman of the Committee, the caterers are being melodramatic about their financial expectations in Brazil. This is because the amount of US$19,200 that was paid each of them excludes their airfare (which is not less than $3,000 each), for them and three assistants each in addition to accommodation and other expenses fully paid by the state.

For example, taking Ambar alone, the airfare on her and her assistants cost US12, 000.00, aside their accommodation and ground transportation which were all borne by the project.

Each of the caterers stay in Brazil cost the project an estimated $15,000 in addition to the US$19,200 each they shared as profit.

This is why the Committee believes each of the caterers has been fairly compensated for her services.

Mr Nii Ayi Ankrah also told the Commission he received a pay of “only Ghc1,200”, the equivalent of $324 dollars, for the six months that he served on the committee.

“I got paid only 1,200 for the four months of my hard work and dedicated service to the committee,” Nii Ayi Ankrah said on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 on his second appearance at the sitting of the Commission investigating Ghana’s participation at the tournament.

Thus, he received just Ghc200 or a little over $54 a month, for his work on the Committee from January to July 2014.

Other prominent business people spent over 6 months working an average of 10 hours daily on the world cup as committee members. Some of them did not make a farthing! Beyond the paltry sitting allowance of Ghc100, they did not earn any other money for the number of man hours they had invested for half a year.