The Mahama administration’s recently announced 24-hour economy effort has drawn harsh criticism from the Minority Leader and MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who has called it a propaganda operation designed to deflect attention away from Ghana’s present economic problems.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, July 4, the Effutu MP charged that the government had implemented the policy without consulting parliament.
“Their so-called 24-hour economy — on Wednesday, July 2, they launched it without due regard to Parliament,” Afenyo-Markin said.
Despite being widely hailed as a solution to unemployment and misused productive hours, he contended that the policy is more about appearances than content.
“We in the Minority see this as a mere public relations tool to distract from real-time economic hardships and win public goodwill. Because you just increased tariffs, you have introduced a levy which the people called ‘Dumsor Levy’,” he added.
At a nationwide launch event, President John Dramani Mahama formally announced the 24-hour economy strategy, which aims to promote 24/7 economic activity in important industries like manufacturing, agribusiness, transportation, and health.
According to the administration, the program will boost inclusive growth, raise national productivity, and create more job possibilities.
But according to Afenyo-Markin, the government is using an exaggerated promise to cover up bad economic decisions.
NKONKONSA.com
