Outline policy plan for 24-hour economy –NPP Coms director

The National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Psrty, Mr Richard Ahiagbah has urged former president, John Mahama to outline his policy plan for the ’24-hour economy’ as it was not feasible.

According to him a 24-hour economy cannot occur out of a vacuum hence the need for the former president to lay bare the enabling factors that’s going to ensure its success.

In a post on a social media platform dubbed X formerly twitter, he said “So, it is not the first thing to say that, I will introduce a 24-hour economy, and boom it becomes a game changer! First, JM must start by discussing his enabling factors plan that will give impetus to the 24-hour economy.”

“The truth is that the 24-hour economy is not a standalone idea or policy. It requires enabling factors like industrialization or manufacturing, energy, tourism, and associated policies or factors to drive it,” he said.

He added that the statement by the John Mahama remains a populist stunt till he tells Ghanaians of his plans whilst linking him to “a student who vows to score straight A's but is known to be such a student or does not have a study plan that demonstrates how he/she would arrive at the desired result of straight A's. It is just talk at this point. Populism as always.”

Mr Ahiagbah further added that the initial idea of a 24-hour economy was first birthed in Kenya in 2009 when it constituted a National 24-hour Economy Steering Committee and John Mahama was a vice president during that period.

He queried why upon assumption of office between 2012 and 2016, he did not implement the 24-hour economy or put measures in for its creation.

“JM became President in 2012-2016, why did he not implement the 24-hour economy because the idea was available to him to copy?  Was it because of Dumsor? Or the 24-hour economy does not require stable electricity?” he asked.

Meanwhile, John Mahama commemorating the International Youth Day in August this year, announced that the next government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will institute a 24-hour economy.

He stated that his government will work assiduously to ease the burden of taxes imposed on Ghanaian businesses by the governing NPP, which has deprived the country of its "envious position as one of Africa's leading destinations for investment."