Parliament has approved close to GH¢650 billion over the past two years, yet the government cannot point to a single institution operating under its flagship 24-Hour Economy programme, according to the Ranking Member on the Economy and Development Committee.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, made this observation while seconding a motion for the House to adopt the Committee's report. The former Information Minister challenged the government's industrial policy direction, arguing that the much-touted 24-Hour Economy has failed to deliver on its promises. "The promise of the 24-hour economy was clear. One, three, three. One job, three people, three shifts," Mr Oppong Nkrumah said.
The government has repeatedly been urged to present its major policy documents to Parliament, but has only submitted the 24-Hour Economy policy aside from annual economic policy statements. Mr Oppong Nkrumah criticised the administration for now shifting focus to constructing 24-hour markets and developing incentives for the private sector, describing these as unproven pillars of a policy that was sold to Ghanaians as a transformative economic solution. He questioned whether building new markets would automatically create round-the-clock economic activity. "There is already a market that has been constructed, like in many of our villages, which has to wait for one day in the week to function. What is the reason for which we believe that if we spend more money to build a new market, it will now function 24 hours?" he asked.
The Ranking Member also criticised the government for admitting that the incentive framework expected to encourage private companies to adopt round-the-clock operations is still under development, nearly two years after taking office. He argued that this "betrays the priorities of this administration," noting that while government has devoted attention to other legislative and judicial matters, the incentives that could make the flagship economic programme operational remain outstanding. Mr Oppong Nkrumah further argued that the introduction of the 24-Hour Economy effectively displaced the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative, which, according to him, was already delivering measurable industrial outcomes. The National Development Planning Commission's (NDPC) Annual Progress Report for 2024, published in June 2025, confirmed that at least 150 factories were operational under the 1D1F programme by the end of 2024.
The youth unemployment rate has risen to approximately 32.4 per cent, with nearly two million young people currently neither in education, employment, nor training, according to data from the Ghana Statistical Service. Mr Oppong Nkrumah warned that every day without a functioning industrial policy translates into lost employment opportunities for thousands of young Ghanaians. He insisted that industrial transformation must move beyond campaign promises to measurable results that create factories, expand production, and provide sustainable employment. As the debate continues in Parliament, the future of the 24-Hour Economy programme remains uncertain, and the government will face pressure to deliver on its promises to create jobs and stimulate economic growth.
Source: JOY
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