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Ghana Prisons Service launches entrepreneurship, innovation training programme for inmates
Hon. Ambrose Dery, Minister for Interior launching the programme.
As part of making inmates in the prisons productive in society when discharged, the Ghana Prisons Service has launched National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training Programme (NEIP) at the Prisons Headquarters in Accra on Wednesday.
Dubbed “Entrepreneurship for Restoration Programme”, the partnership between the Ghana Prisons Service and NEIP would provide skills in various light manufacturing areas and entrepreneurship to inmates and Prison Officers.
The Director-General of Ghana Prisons Service, Mr. Isaac K. Egyir, in a remark said that the programme was a major intervention in the rehabilitation drive of the Service.
He noted that, “the partnership programme answers partly, the call by the Minister of Interior on the need for the service to prioritise the reformation and rehabilitation needs of inmates.”
He said it would serve as an intervention to rehabilitate inmates to ensure public safety through the acquisition of vocational skills for the sustainability of inmates when they were set free.
“The training programmes under this intervention have been purposely structured in a way that inmates who benefit and are certified to be competent in particular skill sets, would be given “starter packs” upon discharge from prison,” he said.
These “starter packs”, are intended to set them up on a path to a self-sustaining and income generating enterprise, while inmates who have more time to do in prison would also be given similar packages to enable them to ply their skills in prison.
Mr. Egyir commended the Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP)Mr. Kofi Ofosu Nkansah for finding the inmates worthy beneficiaries of this training.
The Minister of the Interior, Mr. Ambrose Dery, who launched the “Entrepreneurship for Restoration” programme said the training was expected to give a significant boost to efforts already made by the Ghana Prisons Service to provide rehabilitation programmes for inmates.
Considering the nature of the programme, he noted that on a broader scale, the inmates who benefitted from the training would also be contributing towards Ghana’s long-term strategic vision of consolidating its middle-income status and further building an industry-driven economy.
The training modules under the programme are soap and detergent making, juice processing, grain and cereals packaging, preparation of yoghurt, making of cosmetics among other skills tailored to meet the needs of inmates.
By ASP Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
