Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, says 24-hour economy jobs should begin to emerge within the next one to two years as government rolls out its first batch of priority projects.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Africa Bio Conference on Tuesday, October 27, Mr Tanoh said government was concentrating on between 10 and 15 projects from a pipeline of 32 initiatives under the programme.
“Many things are happening, and we have a deal book of our 32 projects. We are concentrated on the first 10 to 15, and once those are rolled out, you will see the jobs coming in about a year or two.” - Mr Tanoh
Focus Shifts to Production
Mr Tanoh said the programme was not simply about extending working hours. Its implementation is also expected to increase domestic production and provide factories with a more reliable flow of raw materials.
That, he said, should allow industries to operate for longer periods without production interruptions caused by shortages.
“You will begin to see the jobs coming and also begin to see that because we’ve created the basis of production, where industries don’t have to wait for their raw materials because they are being grown and supplied, industries don’t sit still.” - Mr Tanoh
Government Targets Higher Factory Capacity
According to Mr Tanoh, government wants industrial capacity utilisation to rise from the current range of about 36% to 42% to between 80% and 90%.
He said the employment impact would depend on increased production being matched by demand for goods and services.
His comments come as the opposition New Patriotic Party presses government to demonstrate tangible implementation of the 24-hour economy programme.
Mr Tanoh said the groundwork being laid around production, raw material supply and investment would determine how quickly the expected jobs materialise.
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