Weak demand, joblessness show “24-hour economy” is failing – Minority

The Minority in Parliament on Friday criticised the government’s 24-hour economy initiative, saying the flagship jobs programme has delivered little more than confusion and unmet promises.

Former Finance Minister Amin Adam told reporters in Accra that the scheme, introduced last year and billed as a major job-creation tool, “has not produced the transformation the government promised.”

“The current administration secured the mandate of Ghanaians on the back of lofty pledges to transform the economic paradigm of our nation, yet those promises have not materialised,” he said.

Adam questioned the design and execution of the programme.

“You remember the 24-Hour Economy, which the government launched this year. It was presented as a homegrown job-creation model — one job for three people working in shifts. But what has happened so far?” he said.

He described the initiative as “a confusing mix of policy ideas with no clear implementation arrangement,” adding that young people who were promised shift work “continue to roam the streets without jobs,” while farmers and traders face weak demand.

Adam said the programme is expected to cost $4 billion, with the government contributing between $300 million and $400 million, but he accused the administration of failing to commit adequate funds in the 2026 budget.

“The minister said 110 million cedis was allocated for 2026, but the appendix shows only 90 million cedis,” he said. Of that amount, 70 million cedis is earmarked for goods and services and 20 million cedis for capital expenditure, which he described as “tokenism.”

“This cannot help achieve the programme’s objectives,” Adam said.