Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has criticised the Mahama government over what he describes as the slow and unclear implementation of its flagship 24-hour economy policy, nearly a year after the NDC assumed office.

Speaking on Thursday, February 5, 2026, during parliamentary consideration of the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill, Jinapor said the proposed three-shift, eight-hour work system has largely remained on paper and has yet to generate meaningful employment for Ghanaian youth.

“Eleven months into the NDC administration, their flagship programme of a 24-hour economy, with the three-shift system for unemployed Ghanaian youth, the only place working some form of shifts today is the Office of the Speaker of Parliament, and even that is not a full 24-hour operation,” he stated.

Jinapor questioned the need to create a new authority to oversee the policy, insisting that existing institutions can handle the mandate without adding another layer of bureaucracy.

He pointed to the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) as an example, noting that its mandate aligns with promoting exports under a 24-hour economic framework.

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“You do not need another authority to promote exports and thereby create a 24-hour economy. We already have the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, whose sole mandate is to promote exports,” he said.

Jinapor criticised the bill as potentially benefiting only a small group of political appointees, while leaving the broader youth unemployment problem unaddressed.

“This is another gimmick. It is meant to buy time and give false hope to unemployed youth. This authority will only create jobs for a few another CEO, deputy CEOs and managers while the suffering youth from Bolgatanga to Keta, Bosome Freho, and across the length and breadth of the country remain without jobs,” he indicated.

He warned that public patience is running thin. “Ghanaians are tired of hope; they want action,” he said.

MRA/VPO

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