Mahama’s promise to create 24-hour economy possible – B.O.T replies NPP

Chartered economist and NDC activist Bernard Oduro Takyi has hailed former president John Mahama’s pledge to make Ghana’s economy work for 24 hours each day when elected to power.

The youth activist who welcomed the idea explained that the country’s economy will be revived earlier than projected by experts once the government implements the policy.

B.O.T, as he is affectionately called, pointed to the creation of jobs for the teeming youth and added that the development will restore investors’ confidence, especially as Ghana’s economy currently is collapsing owning from mismanagement and the effects of the deadly COVID-19.

Former President John Mahama who is Ghana’s opposition leader recently reiterated his commitment to making Ghana’s economy run for 24 hours each day when he is voted to power.

He assured Ghanaians of quality governance and stressed that his government would work assiduously to ease the burden of taxes imposed on Ghanaian businesses by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), which has deprived the country of its “envious position as one of Africa’s leading destinations for investment.”

In his message to celebrate Ghanaian youth on International Youth Day on Saturday, August 12, Mr Mahama expressed concern about the high rate of youth unemployment in the country, for which reason he plans to tick the right boxes to get the economy running well.

“A new NDC administration will work urgently to equip our youth with the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills needed for a sustainable future. We will introduce a 24-hour economy with incentives and tax breaks for manufacturers who will run extra shifts to create more room for employment,” Mahama said in a statement.

Reacting to the idea of a 24-hour economy in Ghana, B.O.T mentioned that it will be feasible and help reduce youth unemployment which is prevalent in the country.

He explained that a 24-hour economy means government institutions will not close at their usual 5 PM, adding that the government will have to employ more employees to improve production in the country.

“Because people will not be sleeping, taxi drivers will get more revenue same as food and beverages sellers who will then have to work to serve persons who will be working at night,” he said on Dwaboase in Akan on TV XYZ.

He said the UK is expecting to rake in a whopping 2 billion pounds by 2026 as a result of strengthening the night economy.

He added,” Let no NPP person say it is not possible because it has been done in the USA, UK, China, and Kenya.”

The political activist advised the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to set up a Presidential Special Initiative (PSI) to implement the policy and create jobs for the hundreds of thousands of job seekers from the various schools.

Watch the conversation below;