Legal Counsel to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Kow Essuman has raised doubts about former President John Dramani Mahama’s proposed 24-hour economy.
According to him, the policy proposed by the former president does not promise anything new or better beyond current practices and provisions within the framework of the Labour Act.
"Beyond what is already happening in Ghana, especially in Accra, in terms of the existing nightlife and its economy, and businesses that operate on a 24-hour basis like pharmacies and gas stations, what is this proposal going to do?
“Tell the people the truth! Is Mr Mahama going to provide incentives like overtime pay for public and civil servants who work after hours to provide a public service? Will there even be an after hours if it’s a 24-hour economy like you’ve proposed? The Labour Act already makes provision for overtime pay. Will that be scrapped because now there will be no after hours?” he questioned during a social media banter with aide to former President Mahama, Joyce Bawa Mogtari on X.
Joyce Mogtari who was reacting to the president’s lawyer’s earlier description of the policy as a scam, noted that the recent endorsement of the 24-hour economy by various institutions and Civil Society Organisations testifies to its viability as an economic game changer.
But according to Kow Essuman, the proposal by Mr Mahama does not promise real jobs.
“Businesses that operate 24-hours do so on a demand basis not because a government says this is a voluntary proposal. Unless you provide the details of the proposal (not a policy) and explain how it is going to create jobs, particularly with the constraints on public finance, it will just be a SCAM. Young people are smarter and well informed. Yes, the research shows that the youth want jobs. But they want real jobs and not scams packaged as jobs,” he argued.
Mr Mahama who is the flagbearer for the National Democratic Congress recently proposed a 24-hour economy which he says would contribute to economic growth and job creation, especially for the youth.
However, his biggest contender for the 2024 presidential election, Dr Bawumia who is the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party has argued that the policy lacks creative thinking.
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