I Won’t Dismiss The 24-hour Economy Idea – NPP MP

The New Patriotic Party’s  Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North Andy Appiah-Kubi has said the 24-hour economy proposal is worth considering.

Although he says the idea is not innovative, he will not dismiss it totally.

“It is not a propaganda tool to say you will do it when you have not done the basics…It is not an innovation at all,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, November 25.

On this issue, Former Member of Parliament for Adenta, Yaw Buaben Asamoa asked the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to produce the policy document on the 24-hour economy idea.

To him, slogans will not bring the idea into being.

“You can sloganise to get it to power but the people will realize it is not feasible,” the former Member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) said on the Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, November 25.

The biggest driver Ghana’s economy needs is capital and access to capital and a carefully drafted policy to transition the capital to the areas to provide growth, this has been the focus of the independent presidential candidate Alan Kyerematen, he said.

A member of the manifesto drafting committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Malik Basintake, however, said that the 24-hour economy idea is what is needed to grow the economy.

He assured that the NDC is going to announce a comprehensive document that has been produced on this policy.

“The country currently is experiencing a low growth rate, and productivity has declined, the only game changer is the 24-hour economy,” he also said on the Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, November 25.

He added, “We will give sectoral figures on how many people are going to be employed.”

Basintale further said that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia contradicted himself in his comments on the 24-hour.

He noted that at one point, Dr Bawumia said the idea was bad, and in another vein, he said the 24-hour economy is already happening.

In the view of Basintale, this is contradictory.

“Dr Bawumia contradicted himself,” Basintale said.

He added “Instead of Dr Bawumia preaching his message, he spends time to pooh-pooh the policy of his statement.”

Dr Bawumia had stated that hospitals, the Electricity Company of Ghana, Ghana Water Company, fuel stations and many chop bars work 24 hours.

He asked Ghanaians to reject Mr Mahama’s idea.

Addressing a crowd in Nalerigu as part of his ‘Thank you’ tour on Monday November 20 after being elected flagbearer of the NPP on November 4, Dr Bawumia said, “John Mahama says he has a new idea. What is the idea? He says he wants a 24-hour economy. He doesn’t even understand that policy.

“Today in Ghana, our hospitals work 24 hours, our electricity company works 24 hours, our water company works 24 hours, our fuel stations work 24 hours, and many chop bars work 24 hours. Today because of digitalisation, you can transfer money 24 hours, you can receive money 24 hours… So he doesn’t understand his own policy. It doesn’t make sense.

“So I want you to vote for me in 2024 because I will bring a new vision, I will bring a new policy. Mahama is the past, Dr Bawumia is the future. If John Mahama was there, we would say we have a dumsor economy, you can’t have a 24-hour economy in dumsor. So, you want to vote for Dr Bawumia in 2024, we will take the country to new heights,” Dr Bawumia stated.