24-hour economy: I don't understand it - Bawumia's economic advisor, Kwame Pianim

Ghanaian economist Kwame Pianim has questioned the feasibility of former President John Dramani Mahama’s 24-hour economy policy.

Kwami Pianim highlights the critical role of electricity in sustaining a 24-hour economy, emphasizing that the nation currently faces electricity challenges with businesses running single shifts.

Speaking in an interview on Joy News on February 26, 2024, he urged a thoughtful approach to economic and policy decisions, emphasizing that it is important for leaders to address current challenges facing the country rather than making proposals that would be difficult to achieve.

"People are talking about the 24-hour economy but I don't understand it. What is it? We don't even have electricity for one shift so where are we going to get electricity for three shifts?

"We started the 24-hour economy. I was Minister of Finance and we told PwD that all the repairs should be done at night so that traffic would move. But when they started doing that the managers were refusing to go and supervise because they didn't have security to go around.

"So, let's think through everything carefully and say what we can do now. There is nowhere in the world that they run a 24-hour economy,” myjoyonline.com quoted him to have said in the interview.

Former President John Dramani Mahama has stated that the next NDC government would put measures in place to encourage businesses in Ghana to operate for 24 hours.

He explained that the policy measure would include giving businesses incentives to operate both night and day; possibly in three shifts which means more jobs for the teeming youth of Ghana.

He added that paramount to the implementation of the 24-hour economy strategy is a police service that can ensure the protection of business during the night economy.

AM/SARA

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