The Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has criticised the Mahama administration over what he describes as the sluggish and unclear implementation of the government’s 24-hour economy policy, nearly a year after the NDC assumed office.
Speaking during parliamentary consideration of the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill on Thursday, February 5, Mr. Jinapor said the proposed three-shift, eight-hour work system has largely remained on paper and has yet to create real jobs for the many young people expecting opportunities.
“Eleven months into the NDC administration, their flagship programme of a 24-hour economy, with the three-shift system for unemployed Ghanaian youth, the only place working some form of shifts today is the Office of the Speaker of Parliament, and even that is not a full 24-hour operation,” he stated.
The Damongo legislator also questioned the need to establish a new authority to oversee the policy, insisting that Ghana already has institutions capable of driving the agenda without adding another layer of bureaucracy.
He pointed to the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) as an example, saying its existing mandate aligns directly with export-led growth under a 24-hour economic framework.
“You do not need another authority to promote exports and thereby create a 24-hour economy. We already have the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, whose sole mandate is to promote exports,” he argued.
Mr. Jinapor further criticised the bill as one that could end up benefiting only a small group of political appointees rather than addressing the wider unemployment challenges facing the country’s youth.
“This is another gimmick. It is meant to buy time and give false hope to unemployed youth. This authority will only create jobs for a few — another CEO, deputy CEOs and managers — while the suffering youth from Bolgatanga to Keta, Bosome Freho, and across the length and breadth of the country remain without jobs,” he said.
He concluded by warning that public patience is wearing thin over repeated pledges without tangible results.
“Ghanaians are tired of hope; they want action. Nearly a year on, instead of implementing the 24-hour economy, the government is asking us to create another layer of bureaucracy,” Mr. Jinapor added.
Source: adomonline.com
