The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Education have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the production of school uniforms, furniture and 12 million sanitary pads for schools across the country.
The MoU provides a minimum 30% concession for the production and supply of school furniture assigned to the Ministry of the Interior through the Ghana Prisons Service, as well as a minimum 25% concession for the implementation of the government’s 2025 free sanitary pad initiative.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, said the agreement would ensure value for money while promoting production within state-owned systems.
“We will ensure value for money and transparency in public procurement by anchoring production within state-owned industrial system subject to clear oversight,” he stressed.
The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, also noted that the initiative would significantly contribute to reducing recidivism.
“Apart from what was said earlier, which is, helping them to be law-abiding while in prison and also creating the opportunity for them to earn income whiles in prison, the ultimate goal is to ensure that the public is safe.
“If this cycle is completed, what it means is that we are going to break the cycle of recidivism and people who come to us in prison will be released to go and live law-abiding lives,” she said.
On his part, the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu disclosed that the initiative seeks to produce over 12 million sanitary pads and assured that adequate budgetary support would be secured to support the Ghana Prison Service in this effort
“We definitely will find some budget line to support the Ghana Prisons Service to undertake the production of these sanitary pads. Into 2026, we will be mindful and guided by this MoU when we are undertaking the procurement,” he said
