Ghana's current 8-hour working system is inadequate to create well-paying jobs - Mahama
The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has stated that the current eight-hour working system in Ghana is "inadequate to create the production, productivity, and well-paying jobs required for the revival of Ghana's currently bankrupt economy."
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Speaking during an online event last Sunday, he said the current eight-hour working system is also inadequate to produce enough goods and services for export.
According to Mr. Mahama, his 24-Hour Economy proposal aims to address Ghana's pressing issues of youth unemployment and production deficits by transitioning to a round-the-clock economic model.
Providing insight into how the 24-Hour Economy will be implemented if he is elected President, Mr. Mahama said he will create an enabling environment with deliberate policies for businesses and government institutions to operate 24/7 in a three eight-hour shift system, in addition to the traditional eight-hour system.
He said the two additional work shifts that his administration will introduce "will double and sometimes triple or quadruple the number of jobs in public and private entities. This is the 24-hour economy optimization strategy, giving more to society, providing efficient service delivery, and generating decent and well-paying jobs."
"The benefits of this system will include, but are not limited to, 24-hour ports and harbour services, 24-hour customs services, 24-hour DVLA services, 24-hour agro-processing factories, 24-hour manufacturing industries, 24-hour construction companies, 24-hour diversified sanitation and waste management services, 24-hour financial institutions, 24-hour healthcare services (not just emergency care), 24-hour community pharmacy care, 24-hour tourism, creative arts and entertainment industry services, and 24-hour retail centres, and more and more and more," Mahama stated.
He also criticized the current administration for abandoning the 40-year National Development Plan developed during his presidency, which included this 24-Hour Economy proposal.
He said: "Perhaps if the government had not jettisoned the 40-year and National Development Plan, which was developed by the NDPC during my presidency, they would have adopted and implemented my 24 Hour economy initiative, which was contained in that document and that would have saved Ghanaians from these levels of unprecedented unemployment, but as the saying goes, elections come with consequences".
