Ghana’s 24-hour economy policy is moving from preparation toward the harder test of creating sustainable jobs, according to George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, a member of Parliament’s Finance Committee and board chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the recently concluded IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, he said the policy’s foundations had been laid and that the next phase must translate economic stability into employment, particularly for young people.
The comments, reported by the GNA on October 23, are an update on a policy launched in July 2025. The initiative seeks to raise productivity and industrialisation, encourage self-reliance and export-led growth, and create jobs through economic activity that can operate beyond conventional daytime hours. The interview does not amount to a final timetable for every sector or a detailed announcement of new incentives. It describes the direction of implementation and the conditions Ricketts-Hagan believes are necessary for the plan to work.
For workers and businesses, the distinction is important. A policy can establish a vision and a coordinating secretariat, but the number and quality of jobs depend on whether firms have customers, dependable electricity, access to finance, trained staff and a clear regulatory environment. Extending operating hours alone cannot guarantee that a business will produce more or hire more people.
What the policy is designed to do
The 24-hour economy is intended to encourage productive activity across multiple shifts. Its rationale is that factories, processing facilities, logistics operations and other businesses may be able to use equipment and infrastructure more intensively if the conditions for round-the-clock work are in place. A longer operating day can also create demand for transport, maintenance, security, food services and other supporting activities. Those are potential channels for employment, not proof that jobs have already been created at a particular scale.
Ricketts-Hagan told the GNA that the secretariat had laid the groundwork and that the initiative should be treated as a long-term undertaking requiring careful planning. He acknowledged that the scale of the programme may not have been fully understood at the beginning. His comments suggest that implementation will need to be sequenced rather than treated as a quick switch from daytime business to a three-shift economy.
The proposed three-shift system is a central part of the public discussion. Some economic observers have called for annual budget allocations and a phased approach. Such concerns are practical: a business cannot reliably add night shifts if the electricity supply is unstable, if transport for workers is unavailable or if there is no predictable market for additional output. A phased programme can test what works before it is expanded to more locations and industries.
Electricity and demand are essential
One of Ricketts-Hagan’s key points was that reliable energy supply, business incentives and ready markets for goods and services are essential. He said tax reductions could encourage continuous operation, but tax incentives would not be enough without adequate power. That is a crucial distinction for manufacturers and processors whose costs rise when electricity interruptions force them to stop production, use backup equipment or lose perishable materials.
For a firm considering a night shift, energy reliability is only one part of the calculation. It also needs to know whether suppliers can deliver inputs at the required time, whether customers will buy the additional output, and whether the costs of staffing, transport, security and maintenance are lower than the value of extra production. A three-shift schedule may make sense for a facility with strong demand and equipment that is expensive to leave idle. It may be less suitable for a small shop whose customers still operate mainly during the day.
The policy’s export-led ambitions also depend on demand. If a company expands production but cannot secure buyers, the extra shift may add costs without increasing revenue. Export businesses need reliable standards, logistics, customs processes and access to markets. Domestic firms need predictable purchasing and distribution networks. The government’s challenge is therefore to coordinate infrastructure and business conditions, not simply to encourage longer opening hours.
Jobs: the outcome people will measure
Ricketts-Hagan said job creation, particularly for Ghana’s youthful population, is the focus of the next phase. That makes employment a central measure of the policy’s progress. Useful indicators would include new jobs created, the duration of those jobs, wages, training opportunities, the share of positions filled by young people, and whether workers receive safe and predictable schedules. Counting only the number of businesses that announce longer hours would not show whether the policy is improving livelihoods.
Round-the-clock operations also require attention to working conditions. Night work can affect sleep, health, family responsibilities and commuting safety. Employers and regulators need to consider shift rotation, rest periods, workplace security, transport access and the rights of workers. If a programme expands hours while leaving workers with unstable pay or unsafe conditions, its employment benefits could be weaker than headline job numbers suggest.
Small and medium-sized businesses may need different support from large industrial facilities. A major factory may be able to install energy systems and organise multiple teams, while a small processor may need shared infrastructure, training, access to finance or a reliable aggregation and distribution system. Policy design should avoid assuming that every enterprise can absorb the same costs. The most useful support is likely to be linked to specific constraints rather than a one-size-fits-all incentive.
The proposed New Economy framework
In the same interview, Ricketts-Hagan expressed optimism about a proposed US$10 billion New Economy policy expected to be introduced in 2027. He said it would build on existing reforms and focus public spending on sectors capable of generating sustainable employment. He also cautioned that he did not want to pre-empt the Finance Minister. The amount and timing should therefore be reported as his description of a proposal, not as a fully approved spending programme with final allocations already available.
That distinction matters for businesses planning investments. A proposal can signal government priorities, but companies need confirmed eligibility rules, financing terms, implementation agencies and application processes before they can build it into a business plan. The public will also need to know how the resources are expected to be mobilised and what safeguards will be used to ensure that support reaches productive projects.
The policy’s long-term success will depend on coordination between ministries, local authorities, utilities, financial institutions, employers and workers. A central secretariat can help align activities, but day-to-day delivery takes place in factories, farms, markets, transport networks and training institutions. Clear responsibilities and public reporting can help identify which barriers are being removed and which remain.
How progress can be assessed
One way to evaluate implementation is to separate preparation from measurable results. Preparation may include policy design, stakeholder consultations, the identification of priority sectors and the creation of administrative structures. Results should be visible in investment, production, productivity, exports and jobs. Publishing both sets of indicators would help prevent early administrative milestones from being presented as evidence that the employment target has already been achieved.
Businesses could be asked to report how many workers are employed on each shift, what training is provided, how output changes and whether the expansion is financially sustainable. Government agencies could publish data on energy reliability in participating areas, the use of incentives and the number of firms that have moved from a pilot phase to regular operations. Such information would make it easier to compare results across sectors and adjust the programme when assumptions prove wrong.
Workers and communities also need channels to raise concerns. A policy that changes operating hours may affect local transport, noise, safety and demand for services. Local engagement can help identify problems before they become barriers to continued operation. In this sense, the 24-hour economy is not only an industrial policy; it is a change in how economic activity interacts with communities and public infrastructure.
What happens next
Ricketts-Hagan’s message is that the foundations have been laid, but the job-creation phase is still ahead. The next public milestones should be concrete: a phased implementation plan, clearly identified sectors or locations, reliable power arrangements, transparent incentives, measurable employment targets and regular progress reports. Those details would allow businesses to make informed decisions and the public to judge performance.
Ghana’s 24-hour economy has a clear ambition to increase productivity and employment. The practical test is whether the conditions for sustained production are delivered and whether workers benefit from the additional activity. The policy’s success will be measured not by the phrase “24-hour economy” appearing in announcements, but by durable jobs, competitive businesses and a system that can operate safely and reliably beyond the conventional workday.
Sources and related reading
Read the Ghana News Agency interview and consult the Ministry of Finance for official fiscal and policy information. Related coverage on Fly FM Ghana includes MIIF’s mineral-royalty figures, Ghana’s One Million Coders programme and the teacher salary adjustment update.
More verified Ghana news and public-policy reporting: Fly FM Ghana.
