In a bold move to revitalize Ghana’s economy and unlock opportunities for its youthful population, former President John Mahama has promised to drive growth, create jobs, and empower the next generation of leaders with the 24-hour economy.
As John Mahama stood before the crowd, he emphasized how Ghana’s economy has been mismanaged which had left the youth facing unprecedented challenges.
“Mismanagement of our economy, pervasive corruption, nepotism, and poor governance under the current administration have combined to negatively impact the youth. Many young people are eager and ready to work but struggle to find employment. The rising unemployment rate, currently at a staggering 14.7%, was worsened by the banking sector clean-up, which led to widespread job losses, especially among banking and finance professionals”.
He noted that the statistics are dire, with millions of young people struggling to survive.
“Other statistics that show the dire situation of Ghanaian youth are the 21.7% youth unemployment rate, the 8 million Ghanaians who went a day without food—many of them young people—and the 1.9 million youth who are not employed, educated or trained. The harsh business climate has caused numerous businesses to collapse, resulting in further layoffs”.
He warned that frustration and disillusionment were simmering among Ghana’s youth, threatening social unrest and instability.
“The ongoing crisis is fostering frustration among the youth, increasing poverty, social unrest, and disenchantment with the political process. The scarcity of job opportunities compels many young individuals to resort to low-paying informal work or seek opportunities abroad, exacerbating the brain drain that hampers our national development”.
John Mahama explained the 24-hour economic initiative and its potential to drive growth and empower Ghana’s youth.
“To tackle these issues, I have proposed a sustainable vision to Reset Ghana by introducing and aggressively implementing the 24-Hour Economy Policy. If you are hearing about the 24-hour economic initiative for the first time or pretending that you do not know what it is about, please listen to me explain it again”.
He continued, “A 24-hour economy will enable one job to be shared across three shifts and employ three persons, providing job opportunities for three workers instead of one. This policy, which aims to drive economic growth, improve service delivery, and create jobs in both the public and private sectors, will prioritize the needs of our youth”.
He emphasized the need for investment in security and public safety measures to support night time economic activity.
“For the policy to thrive, the government will invest in security and public safety measures, including recruiting additional personnel and enhancing street lighting to promote night time economic activity.
John Mahama outlined his vision for transforming public sector services to operate 24/7.
Essential components of the public sector’s 24-hour services will include:
- 24-Hour Ports & Harbours
- 24-Hour Customs
- 24-Hour DVLA Services
- 24-Hour Passport Services, among others”.
He encouraged the private sector to operate 24 hours, targeting sectors like agro-processing, manufacturing, and financial institutions.
“I also intend to incentivize the private sector to operate 24 hours. Targeted sectors will include:
- 24-Hour Agro-processing
- 24-Hour Manufacturing
- 24-Hour Construction
- 24-Hour Sanitation & Waste Management
- 24-Hour Financial Institutions
- 24-Hour Retail and Tourism Services”.
John Mahama also emphasized on the need for increased demand through government procurement and export expansion to create decent jobs for Ghana’s youth.
“Aside from incentives provided for businesses that sign up for the policy, increased demand driven by deliberate government procurement of locally made goods and an expanded export drive under the ETLS and AfCFTA will absorb the increased supply of goods and services.
These enhancements will create decent, well-paying jobs and training opportunities for you, our vibrant youth”.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Nukpeta Yaa Dorcas
