Professor Isaac Boadi is an Economist
The Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP) has questioned the government’s commitment to implementing the 24-hour economy, noting that the program was allocated a paltry sum instead of the substantial funding needed.
Reacting to aspects of the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the John Dramani Mahama administration, Professor Isaac Boadi, Executive Director of the policy think tank, said the government does not appear serious about implementing the 24-hour economy as promised in the party’s 2024 manifesto.
“The government has launched the 24-hour economy and came out with a policy document. In that document, Ghanaians were told that to be able to implement the policy, an amount of US$4 billion would be required,” he stated.
Professor Boadi explained that the 2026 budget allocation falls far short of what is required.
“In the budget as was read by the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, only an insignificant amount of GH¢110 million has been allocated for the 24-hour economy’s secretariat for the implementation of the program,” he added.
He recalled that on June 30, Presidential Advisor on the 24-hour economy Goosie Tanoh announced that US$4 billion would be needed to successfully roll out the initiative.
“We, therefore, expected that a substantial portion of this US$4 billion would be allocated to the policy and not a scrimpy amount of GH¢110 million,” he stressed.
The Dean of Accounting and Finance at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), argued that this underfunding signals a lack of government commitment.
“We at IERPP hold the view that the government’s unwillingness to devote huge sums of money to implement the 24-hour economic policy means that there is very little or no commitment on the part of the government to roll out this policy,” he said.
Professor Boadi also admonished the Finance Ministry and the government not to pay lip service to the initiative, noting that the policy was a key promise underpinning the NDC’s electoral victory in 2024.
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