Increasing prisoners feeding fee from GH₵1.8 to GH₵5 not enough – Crime Check Foundation
The Crime Check Foundation, an organisation focused on the welfare of inmates, has voiced its discontent regarding the recent increase in the daily feeding allowance for inmates, which has increased from GH₵1.80 to GH₵5 per prisoner.
Mr. Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, the Minister for the Interior, made this announcement during his appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
In response to this development, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, the Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation, stated that the government could have done better with the adjustment, emphasising that GH₵5 is insufficient given the current economic circumstances.
“As much as we should pat the government on the shoulder, the government should have done better. For us at Crime Check, we feel disappointed. That’s why I’m saying it is a bit of a paradox.
“It is not about the value of money but the purchasing power and I’m sure the increment should have been situated in the context of economic indicators. Ask yourself, what can GH₵5 do for you, your kid or yourself?” he expressed in an interview on Ghana Tonight, Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
He asserted that the adequate feeding allowance for an inmate should align with the current minimum wage, suggesting GH₵20 per head.
“…at least GHC20 per head in tangent with the minimum wage because I feel that we should have situated it within the economic context. What will GH₵5 do? It puts a lot of burden and pressure on the Prisons Service,” he elaborated.
Despite the disappointment expressed by the Foundation, Mr. Kwarteng acknowledged that the government deserves recognition for the increment, noting that such adjustments have not occurred in many years.
“From GHC1.80 to GHC5, I will say it falls within the undeliverable bracket because GH₵1.80 would have done nothing, and GH₵5 does nothing, but just as I said, what can we do? I will congratulate the government because there has not been any increment for so many years,” he added.