Ranking Member on Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee and Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of abandoning the 24-hour economy it promised Ghanaians ahead of the 2024 elections.
According to him, the government has shifted from its original pledge to transform productivity and create jobs through a three-shift economy to initiatives that do not reflect the policy it campaigned on.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah argued that the government’s current implementation falls short of the vision it presented to voters.
“Their promise was that they could triple the workforce for productivity in the country. The NDC has abandoned the 24-hour economy as they advertised to us. The policy they are implementing now has nothing to do with what they promised,” he said.
He contended that the establishment of the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat merely duplicates the work of existing state institutions rather than introducing a new strategy to drive economic growth.
“They said the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat would help exports and SMEs, but those are functions the Ghana Enterprises Agency and the Ghana Export Promotion Authority already perform. They have simply codified those functions into a new secretariat. It has nothing to do with tripling the workforce,” he stated.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah also dismissed recent government announcements highlighting memoranda of understanding worth about US$5 million and the operation of businesses such as filling stations on a 24-hour basis as evidence of the policy’s success.
“What they are saying now about signing MOUs worth about five million dollars and listing filling stations operating 24 hours is laughable because several filling stations were already operating throughout the night long before the NDC came into office. No serious policy analyst will accept that as implementing a 24-hour economy,” he argued.
The former Information Minister further expressed concern over rising youth unemployment, insisting the government had failed to deliver on one of its key campaign promises.
He urged the Finance Minister to provide what he described as an honest assessment of the economy when presenting the upcoming mid-year budget review.
“Tomorrow, when the Finance Minister presents the mid-year budget review, he should speak the truth. Youth unemployment is now worse,” Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said.
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