According to the former president, he never said that his proposal was novel as being asserted by Dr Bawumia and his other critics.
Speaking at a campaign in the Ahafo Region, on November 21, 2023, Mahama explained that his proposal involves putting measures in place to ensure that all businesses get the chance to operate both day and night if they want to.
“When I talked about the 24-hour economy, many people are saying it is not a well-thought-through programme and that people were doing 24-hour economy already.
“If one pharmacy is doing 24 hours, if one factory is doing 24 hours, that is not what I am talking about. Everybody should be encouraged to be able to do a 24-hour shift. Because we have the harvest season now, factories that are processing agricultural products should be able to run two shifts. So that they are able to process as much of the agricultural produce as possible,” he said.
He added, “What we are saying is that we will give incentives for everybody who wants to run a 24-shift system to be able to do that so that more young people will be employed.”
Bawumia’s criticism:
Vice President Dr Bawumia, the presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), at a campaign event in Nalerigu, in the North East Region, on Monday, November 20, 2023, attacked the 24-hour economy policy proposition put forth by Mahama.
Bawumia explained that the idea of a 24-hour economy was not new to Ghana and that it appeared Mahama does not understand the concept.
“John Mahama says he has a new idea, what is this new idea, he says he wants a 24-hour economy. He doesn’t even understand that promise,” Bawumia told a teeming crowd up north on his first visit since his election as flagbearer.
He listed among others; hospitals, power and fuel service providers and some chop bars, that are already operating 24 hours adding that thanks to digitalization, “you can transfer and receive money 24 hours.”
“He (Mahama) doesn’t understand his own policy, it does not make sense. I want you to note in 2024 we are having a new vision. I will bring new policy and we will transform this country. John Mahama is the past, Dr. Bawumia is the future,” Bawumia added to cheers from the crowd.
Watch Mahama’s reaction in the video below:
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Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia