The Ministry of Interior, together with the Ministry of Education, has taken a decisive step in advancing the government’s transformational agenda by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure that not less than 30 per cent of sanitary pads, school uniforms, and school furniture for public schools across Ghana are produced and supplied through the Ghana Prisons Service.
The ceremony, held at the Ministry of the Interior in Accra, reflects the government’s firm commitment to local production, value for money, and inclusive national development.
Minister Muntaka Mubarak described the initiative as a deliberate policy choice that places education, productivity, and rehabilitation at the centre of national development.
He stated that the government is determined to strengthen local manufacturing capacity, secure the timely supply of essential educational materials, and anchor public procurement within state institutions to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency.
He emphasised that this initiative goes beyond procurement.
According to him, the initiative is about restoring dignity through work, equipping inmates with employable skills, generating income, and decisively reducing recidivism. As part of the implementation process, a five-member committee will be established to ensure strict oversight and effective execution of the agreement.
He commended the Ghana Prisons Service for embracing its expanded role as an active contributor to Ghana’s development agenda.
The Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, noted that the MoU strategically repositions the Ghana Prisons Service within the education value chain. He underscored the need to end idle inmate life through structured skills training and productive engagement, stressing that the initiative aligns with the government’s broader policy of promoting indigenous production and industrial self-reliance.
The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, described the initiative as a game changer, affirming that it marks a new era in which the Service contributes meaningfully to national production while strengthening public safety.
She stated that by breaking the cycle of recidivism, the initiative will help transform inmates into law-abiding, productive citizens who can contribute positively to national development.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
