Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has cautioned that the government’s flagship 24-Hour Economy policy risks losing its intended focus due to persistent taxes, duties, and levies on manufacturing inputs.

He explained that workers embraced the policy as a strategy to create a business‑friendly environment that would attract investment, boost local manufacturing, and generate sustainable employment.

“The 24-Hour Economy, as workers understand it, is for government to create a favourable environment by reviewing taxes and levies to attract investors to establish factories and expand production to create jobs,” he said.

Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme, Koomson argued that the policy’s implementation is drifting away from its original objective.

“We have observed that the implementation of the 24-Hour Economy policy is losing focus because of the existing and additional duties and levies being imposed on manufacturing inputs, which continue to disadvantage local manufacturers,” he stated.

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He noted that rising production costs are making locally manufactured goods less competitive, while cheaper imported finished products—particularly from China—continue to dominate the Ghanaian market.

Koomson lamented that repeated efforts by the GFL to engage government on the matter have yielded little progress. The federation formally wrote to the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry on July 2, 2026, requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the impact of taxes and levies on the manufacturing industry.

The letter, signed by Koomson, warned that the growing tax burden is threatening the viability of manufacturing businesses and the job security of thousands of workers.

The GFL, which represents 16 affiliate trade unions across key sectors including textiles, food and beverages, and agro‑processing, appealed for the meeting to be held within July due to the urgency of the matter.

Although the Ministry officially acknowledged receipt of the letter on July 8, 2026, the GFL says it is yet to receive an invitation for the requested engagement.

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