How catering companies earn money from the “Hot Meals in Schools” program

The national program through which the state subsidizes hot meals for students has proven to be very profitable for companies that deliver food to schools and kindergartens. A concrete example is given by the Scoarța City Hall, where the authorities knowingly settled for months in a row, more portions of food than those requested by the representatives of the educational units.

The inspectors of the Gorj Court of Accounts checked how the “Hot meal” program is being carried out in the Scoarța commune, after a good period of time the students and preschoolers here received sandwiches while the children from other communes had meals served in casseroles. It was established that the town hall paid the catering company that delivered the hot meal here more portions than the number of children present at the classes.

More precisely, here the food portions were paid in addition to those requested by the Scoarța Secondary School. This happened in the months of March, April, May and June 2023 and a difference of 370 more portions was found between those ordered by the school and those settled by the town hall.

Everything amounts to 5,041.25 lei, but the money was recovered during the control from the supplier of the hot meal in the schools in Scoarța.

Moreover, it was found that the value of the food supplement offered by the mayor’s office was worth 10 lei and not 15 lei as stipulated in the law.

Mayor Stamatoiu could not be contacted for a point of view.