Edem Agbana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Ketu North, believes that the planned 24-hour economy policy by former President John Mahama is the solution to the country’s economic challenges.
Mr. Mahama, the NDC’s flagbearer, has proposed a transformative economic policy known as the 24-Hour Economy.
This policy is designed to encourage and support certain businesses and companies to operate around the clock, preferably in a three-shift system of 8 hours each.
The primary objective of this policy is to create sustainable jobs for Ghanaians. This will be accomplished through Mahama’s agenda to modernize and mechanize agriculture, incentivize the private sector, promote agro-processing and manufacturing, and transform Ghana into an economy led by import substitution and exports.
The 24-hour economy will mainly focus on various industries including agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, construction, extractive industry (mining and quarrying), sanitation and waste management, leisure and hospitality, digital start-ups and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), financial services, retail centers, transportation services, and selected public institutions with large customer traffic.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Citi FM‘s Eyewitness News on Tuesday, Mr Agbana stated that the economy is in distress due to mismanagement and that the 24-hour policy would turn things around.
“I believe that the 24-hour economy, how I understand it and how President Mahama intends to implement it is the panacea to solving many of the economic challenges that we face today,” he stated.