Minority Leader and MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has sharply criticised the Mahama administration’s recently announced 24-hour economy initiative, labelling it as a propaganda scheme designed to distract from Ghana’s pressing economic issues.
Addressing Parliament on July 4, Afenyo-Markin accused the government of circumventing parliamentary oversight in the implementation of this policy.
“Their so-called 24-hour economy — on Wednesday, July 2, they launched it without due regard to Parliament,” he remarked.
He contended that while the initiative is being promoted as a remedy for unemployment and underutilised productive hours, it is ultimately more focused on appearances rather than genuine impact.
“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 stated.
The 24-hour economy initiative, officially presented by President John Dramani Mahama during a national launch event, aims to stimulate continuous economic activity across critical sectors such as health, transportation, manufacturing, and agribusiness.
The government asserts that this policy will create job opportunities, enhance national productivity, and foster inclusive growth.
However, Afenyo-Markin argues that the administration is simply masking poor economic choices with an exaggerated promise.
