Lawyer and communications team member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Hamza Sayibu Suhuyini, says a 24-hour economy cannot work unless Ghana first puts its economic fundamentals in order.
Speaking on JoyNews AM Show on 26 February, Mr Suhuyini addressed concerns from political opponents who have questioned the feasibility of the NDC’s campaign promise to introduce a 24-hour economy aimed at creating jobs and stimulating growth.
“There is a likelihood that our compatriots from the other political party will say that we promised jobs,” he said. “I listened to the Minority Leader yesterday, where he reminded us that we promised a 24-hour economy.”
However, he argued that critics have overlooked a critical prerequisite for such a policy.
“What they have forgotten is that you cannot implement a 24-hour economy effectively if you do not have your economic fundamentals in shape and guarantee its sustainability in terms of its future prospects,” he explained.
According to Mr Suhuyini, the NDC’s current policy direction is focused on stabilising and strengthening the economy to create the right environment for businesses to thrive.
He noted that once the necessary interventions open up economic space, private businesses would be better positioned to access capital and expand their operations.
Mr Suhuyini contrasted the ideological approaches of the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), suggesting that while the NPP primarily focuses on private capital, the NDC seeks to balance economic growth with social protection.
“In line with the NDC’s own ideology of social empowerment because ours is compassion and competition reconciled, in the words of Tony Blair, whereas the NPP is pursuing the capitalist interest, private capital, we acknowledge that it is our responsibility to support those who are capitalists and are citizens of this country, and also to support those who are down there and aspiring to be self-sufficient, those who are vulnerable,” he said.
He maintained that the party’s approach seeks to reconcile these two objectives by simultaneously creating an enabling environment for private sector growth and investing in critical social sectors.
“Whereas we are creating the enabling environment through novel institutional reforms, in line with the recent agenda, the onus again is also on us to invest in the sectors that matter, that is, the social sectors—so that even these companies can take advantage to spur growth and government can be an effective partner,” he added.
Mr Suhuyini said this philosophy underpins the proposed Ghana National Reserve Plan, which he described as a strategic intervention to strengthen the country’s economic resilience.
“But the most important thing is our ability to police such interventions,” he stressed.
He expressed confidence that an NDC-led government would ensure proper oversight and deliver meaningful transformation.
“I can assure you that the NDC government, in line with that agenda, would actually drive transformation that many of us would be proud of,” he said.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com