The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Education have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to produce sanitary pads, school uniforms, and furniture for schools across Ghana.

Under the agreement, a minimum 30% concession is allocated for the production and supply of school furniture through the Ghana Prisons Service, while a minimum 25% concession applies to the implementation of the government’s 2025 free sanitary pad initiative.

Speaking at the signing ceremony on Wednesday, January 14, Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, said the initiative would ensure value for money and promote production within state-owned systems.

“This initiative ensures value for money and transparency in public procurement by anchoring production within the state-owned industrial system, subject to clear oversight. It also advances inmate rehabilitation and reintegration by expanding vocational and industrial training opportunities within the Ghana Prisons Service, equipping inmates with employable skills that remain beneficial after incarceration,” he explained.

The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, noted that the initiative would help reduce recidivism.

“The ultimate goal is to ensure that the public is safe. By completing this cycle, we are breaking the cycle of recidivism, enabling individuals who come through the prison system to be released and lead law-abiding lives,” she said.