Tax rebates and export bonuses to power Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy - Goosie Tanoh
The Ministry of Finance has agreed on a tax incentive package to support the rollout of Ghana’s 24-hour economy, the Presidential Adviser on the policy, Mr Augustus Goosie Tanoh, has disclosed.
Speaking in a televised interview on GTV on February 23, 2026, Mr Tanoh said the incentives are designed to lower the cost of doing business, attract fresh investment and generate employment across industry, services and agriculture.
“They are a mix of tax rebates, tax credits, and export bonuses. That then incentivises those who are in industry, those who are in services, and those who are in agriculture to say that… I can invest and hire more people,” he said.
Mr Tanoh explained that access to the package would be strictly performance-based, with eligibility tied to verifiable indicators such as employment records, electricity consumption and participation in recognised trade associations. Businesses, he said, must satisfy these benchmarks before qualifying.
“If you do those things, then you get the incentive. If you don't do them, you don't get the incentive. It's not awarded for you to keep and put in your pocket,” he stated.
He noted that the measures are intended to encourage firms to adopt shift systems, widely referred to as the “1-3-3 system”, under which companies may operate up to three shifts daily. However, he stressed that transitioning to full 24-hour production would depend on a firm’s operational strength, capital base and profitability.
“A company that's operating 100 people… can then move to employ 100 people in three shifts. That's 300. But they must have the wherewithal, the cost parameters, the profit margins that allow them to take those decisions,” he said.
Mr Tanoh described the tax package as part of a broader national strategy to boost domestic production, reduce imports, expand exports and create sustainable jobs. He emphasised that the private sector would drive implementation, with government providing support through viability gap funding and reforms to improve the business climate.
The 24-hour economy programme, launched on July 2, 2025, seeks to integrate modernised agriculture, manufacturing, logistics and financing through eight sub-programmes, including Grow24 for crop production, Make24 for manufacturing, Connect24 for supply chains and Fund24 for small and medium-sized enterprises.
“Once we are able to move the average capacity utilisation rate from 36% along the scales of 60, 70, 80%, you will then see people… producing around the clock,” Mr Tanoh said.
He added that energy supply, infrastructure and financing arrangements had been structured to support businesses seeking to expand operations and employment under the initiative.
The policy is also expected to stimulate investment in industrial parks and agroecological zones, as well as corridors such as the Volta Economic Corridor, which stretches from Tema through northern Ghana into the Sahel, positioning the country as a production and export hub within the sub-region.
