Emmanuel Owusu, National President of the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG), has expressed optimism about the 24-hour economy plan proposed by John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Owusu believes this policy could substantially transform Ghana’s market landscape.
The initiative seeks to enable certain businesses and companies to operate 24/7, promoting productivity, competitiveness, and job creation.
Owusu shared his thoughts during the presentation of the GRASAG research report on “The 24-Hour Economy,” expressing hope that the report’s recommendations will be carefully considered if Mahama returns to office.
Mr. Owusu emphasized that the 24-hour economy will greatly influence information technology and internet access, both essential components of the digital world.
He believes that implementing the 24-hour economy will boost productivity, generate jobs, improve service delivery, align with Ghana’s socio-economic goals, drive innovation, attract foreign direct investment, and promote sustainable growth, thereby positioning Ghana as a global competitor.
“For prospects which in a way I’ve mentioned, it will also have some impact on information technology and now we are in a digital world and most of the things we do are driven by information technology and of course, once you are implementing a 24-hour economy, it will require that you improve the internet access.
“We already have a strong fibre, we may want to look at bettering our internet service. Recently when there was an internet crisis, we were really in deep waters. We are saying that if we want to implement a 24-hour economy, we might want to look at that.
“Implementing a 24-hour economy will increase productivity, create jobs, and enhance service delivery, aligns with Ghana’s socio-economic objectives. It will stimulate innovations, attract foreign drive investment, foster sustainable growth and position Ghana as a global competitor.
“So these are some of the views that our colleagues across the country have shared with us. We believe that the 24-hour economy is something that will transform the republic. We know that the former president has hinted, for us as GRASAG, it’s our prayer that when he gets the nod to become the president, he’ll consider some of these recommendations.”