The government’s flagship 24-hour economy policy has failed to meet expectations set during the election campaign, a legal scholar and policy analyst Ishaq Ibrahim has said, arguing that the government’s approach remains unclear one year into office.
Speaking on Asaase Radio’s The Forum on Saturday (9 January), Ibrahim, a lecturer at the UPSA Law School, said the policy as currently presented does not reflect what was promised when the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) was in opposition.
“When it comes to the 24-hour economy, even a lame person would say the government has failed in that regard,” Ibrahim said. “They marketed it as a three-shift system, so one would have thought that the moment they got power, implementation would begin.”
Clarity
Ibrahim said the lack of clarity around the policy has made it difficult to assess government performance against its manifesto commitments.
He added that the disconnect between campaign messaging and policy delivery raised concerns about whether the government itself fully understands the programme.
“What we have seen so far doesn’t even tell us what the 24-hour economy really is,” he said. “Those responsible for implementing it have presented something different, so we cannot use what was promised during the campaign to measure current performance.”
“It is like what they promised is not what they are delivering,” Ibrahim said. “And it seems they cannot understand it as well.”
2026 deadline
Meanwhile, the John Mahama administration plans to have its 24-hour economy program fully operational by the end of 2026, the Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare-Addo, said on Thursday.
Speaking in an interview with Kumasi-based Nhyira FM, Opare-Addo emphasised that the policy aims to transform the traditional eight-hour workday system into a continuous 24-hour economic structure, a process he said requires time and legislative support.
“Changing the entire structure of an economy that has been in place for years, from an 8-hour to a 24-hour system, cannot happen in less than 12 months. It requires legislative measures and directives, and those processes are underway,” he said.
Full impact
The minister encouraged Ghanaians to anticipate the full integration of the policy later this year.
“Everyone who is honest will see that progress is being made. Changing the structure of the economy is not a one-time event; it is a process that takes time to unfold. We are clearly on track, and by the end of this year, we expect to see the full impact of the 24-hour economy,” Opare-Addo added.
The government says the initiative is intended to boost productivity, create jobs, and enhance the efficiency of public and private sector operations across the country.
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