The Chief Programme Officer of the 24-hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat, Abdul-Nasser Suglo Alidu, has defended the government’s flagship 24-hour economy policy following criticism by New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Dr Bawumia has questioned the progress of the initiative, arguing that the jobs and employment opportunities promised to Ghanaians have yet to materialise nearly two years into the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
But speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, October 19, Mr Suglo Alidu said the criticism was based on a limited understanding of the programme, which he said goes beyond getting businesses to operate three shifts.
He cited multi-shift operations in state enterprises, filling stations and private companies as evidence that aspects of the policy were already being implemented.
He also disclosed that about 268 filling stations were participating in a pilot programme in the downstream petroleum sector, while 33 companies under the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) had confirmed that they were operating multiple shifts.
“So it’s surprising to hear him [Bawumia] say some of the things he’s saying because he is an economist and he absolutely knows better than what he was talking about. A lot of people are trying to characterise the 24-hour economy as just being about 1-3-3. And then we go ahead to try to say, well, it’s 1-3-3; we are not seeing it. Every company is not operating 1-3-3, and because of that, it has failed. No.
“Now, if you do commit to 1-3-3 and businesses operating multi-shifts, that is happening. So anybody that’s saying that it is not happening is being very disingenuous,” he said.
Mr Suglo Alidu argued that the success of the policy should not be measured solely by the number of businesses operating around the clock, but by its ability to transform Ghana’s productive capacity and create globally competitive industries.
He cited South Korea’s economic transformation as an example of how long-term policies could help local businesses grow into major international companies.
“We didn’t just make Samsung run three shifts and sell fish three times. There was real transformation that built a company that can compete with any company anywhere in the world,” he said.
He argued that Ghana’s 24-hour economy policy should similarly support businesses to expand beyond their existing operations and develop products that can compete internationally.
“The measure of success is to have an economy where in 10 years, you see a Beirut Star that is not just selling bread, but has producing some of the biggest machinery that bread, you know, people who make bread anywhere in the world,” he added.