The Member of Parliament for Oforikrom, Michael Aidoo, has questioned the government’s decision to allocate GH¢90 million to the proposed 24-hour economy policy, arguing that the amount is far too small to support such a major national programme.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the MP said the allocation lacks seriousness and does not match the scale of investment required to operationalise the policy. He added that the government has not presented any clear implementation plan to guide how the 24-hour economy will work.
Mr. Micheal Aidoo also used the debate to raise broader concerns about youth development initiatives promised by the government but yet to be delivered.
“Mr. Speaker, under youth development, the question we want to ask the Finance Minister and the government is, where are the regional digital centres that were promised?”
He further demanded updates on the $50 million Fintech Grow Fund, the zonal ICT parks, and the National Employment Trust, all of which were stated in the government’s manifesto.
According to the MP, experts such as Mr. Goosie Tanoh have estimated that a functional 24-hour economy could require up to $4 billion to implement, making the GH¢90 million allocation “a mere token.”
“Where is the $50 million Fintech Grow Fund and the zonal ICT parks that were promised in the manifesto? Where is the National Employment Trust that was promised? For your 24-hour economy, I don’t even want to dwell so much on it because Mr. Goosie Tanoh had indicated that they would need $4 billion to implement a 24-hour economy.”
He urged the government to provide clarity, fulfil its earlier youth-focused commitments, and present a realistic plan for the 24-hour economy if it intends to move the idea beyond political messaging.
“When you look inside the budget, it is a paltry GH¢90 million and this GH¢90 million, I can say, is not for anything; it is just chop chop. It will not do anything because, as it stands now, there’s no implementation plan for the 24-hour economy.”
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
