Mark Badu Aboagye, the CEO of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), has warned the John Mahama government that the 24-Hour Economy is turning into another policy slogan.
According to the GNCCI CEO, if the former Akufo-Addo governments had even implemented just 50% of their 1D1F, all of Ghana’s employment issues would have been solved.
He explained policies like the 24-hour economy are well thought through, but suffer from poor implementation.
Speaking on PM Express on Joy News, Mark Badu Aboagye explained, “Obviously, there’s always an engagement for us to understand what it is, for us to understand the role that we will play, and all those things. Last Friday, we were actually supposed to meet Gossie Tannoh, but I think he travelled. So okay, so we have had that engagement with them.”
“When it comes to policies, as I said, it is implementation, the 1D1F. It’s been said that it was a very brilliant policy. If governments had even implemented just 50% of it, all these employment issues would have been solved.”
“That is what they always say, it is private sector-driven. And, of course, it should be private sector-driven. But what incentives are they providing?”
The GNCCI further added, “We had a similar incentive with 1D1F, where they say, if you go for a facility, we’ll pay a percentage of the interest. So the collateral point he talks about was also built into 1D1F. Let’s say the policies are brilliant; it is the implementation.
“And obviously, you get some political undertones. And people who can assess this funding, the real private sector people find out from them, whether they were able to get some of this funding.”
“So to solve this problem, it shouldn’t be just a political slogan and say, 24-hour economy. They are a brilliant idea. But how is the private sector taking it up? I think that to be able to solve this, one approach is to also look at our investors.”
Also, Michael Okyere Baafi, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Trade and Industry Committee and MP for New Juaben South, has said John Mahama’s flagship 24-Hour Economy formula has moved from “1-3-3” to “4-1-9” .
According to Michael Okyere Baafi, the Mahama government’s handling of the 24-Hour Economy Policy has left many Ghanaians confused about its actual implementation framework.
Michael Okyere Baafi called on the Mahama government to apologise to Ghanaians for changing the formula of the 24-Hour Economy Policy from “1-3-3” to “4-1-9”
Speaking during a media interview on Saturday, March 14, Michael Okyere Baafi stated, “The policy was advertised by President Mahama and his team before the elections. Today, I put it to the head of the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat… They have to go back to the country and apologise to Ghanaians”.
“What sense do you get about the policy? It’s a private sector-led initiative with incentives that may include interest subsidies,” he said.
He asked, “Government needs to do more in the area of investment promotion. They want to create jobs, but how?”
“We are now waiting for the incentive policy. The point I’m trying to make is that we now understand a different 24-Hour Economy,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minority Spokesperson on Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, has said the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill passed by parliament will not deliver a 24-Hour work cycle.
The member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi is quoted by a TV3 news flyer to have said, “I say it in pain that the bill they have passed will not deliver a 24-hour work cycle in this country. We will be here!”
According to Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill passed does not include an instrument that will ensure public agencies work for 24 hours.
Speaking in an interview on TV3 on Sunday, February 22, 2026, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah further explained, “Even the functions of the bill, they don’t put in it that this authority is to ensure that public agencies work for 24 hours. When we tried to put it in, they objected to it; that is why I am saying to you in all humility, they know what they are doing”.
“They are hoodwinking it in front of young people that they have passed the bill. It is coming, and I regret to say that nothing is coming. I encourage the young people to go online, Google the bill, and read it for yourself. You will be disappointed”.
“They have time; they have about two more budgets to go; they have time to correct some of these things. Unfortunately, when we speak, I think because of the partisan nature of politics, the NDC is more interested in debating us than picking lessons. Even when we confess our mistakes, they are more interested in debating us than listening to our confessions”, he added.