The Tamale International Airport is to be developed into an air cargo hub and logistics gateway in northern Ghana and the Sahel.
It forms part of major initiatives under the 24-Hour Economy of the government. Other projects include expansion of Northshore Apparel enclave — clothing manufacturers in Savelugu in the Northern Region and Legon Pharmaceutical Innovation Park at Akuse.
Cabinet has also approved the establishment of a Volta Economic Corridor, expected to reduce logistics costs by more than 40 per cent, and a 1.5 gigawatts of solar power and 500 megawatts of biomass energy to support sustained industrial production.
Event
The Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy initiative, Augustus Obuadum Goosie Tanoh, announced this at the 20th Harmattan School at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.
The two-day event was on the theme: “From policy to practice: Implementing the 24-Hour Economy, the Big Push and Mahama Cares.”
In attendance were academics, policymakers, development practitioners and students who examined how national policies could be translated into practical outcomes.
The Harmattan School, conceived some 20 years ago as a development intervention, seeks to promote sustained, evidence-based dialogue on structural challenges affecting northern Ghana and the country at large.
Support
Mr Tanoh urged citizens to rally behind the government to ensure the successful implementation of the 24-Hour Economy and other flagship initiatives aimed at driving economic transformation and job creation.
He said while the country had recorded significant macroeconomic gains, including a sharp decline in inflation and a reduction in the fiscal deficit, sustaining the improvements required coordinated national support and effective policy implementation.
“Stability provides the platform. What we build upon will determine whether prosperity follows,” Mr Tanoh said.
It must now evolve into a national development compact,” he said, adding that its success depended on effective collaboration and political maturity.
He further said that the next phase of the government’s Reset Agenda would prioritise productivity, value addition and coordinated national development.
Concerns
The Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, however, questioned the nation’s readiness to sustain a 24-hour economy, noting that reliable electricity supply, skilled labour, security and disciplined institutions were critical prerequisites for the policy’s success.
“A 24-hour economy built on a grid that already struggles at today’s peak is a 24-hour promise on a 12-hour grid,” she said.
Ms Appiagyei suggested that the initiative could be implemented in phases, including ensuring a realistic power investment plan and broader stakeholder consultation.
“Ghana must no longer confuse speed with seriousness, nor slogans with strategy,” she added.
Significance
The Vice-Chancellor of UDS, Prof. Seidu Al-Hassan, described the Harmattan School as the university’s flagship policy dialogue platform that brought together scholars, policymakers and development practitioners to deliberate on issues shaping national development.
He emphasised that transformation must be inclusive, resilient and institutional.
The Vice-Chancellor also called for coordinated and evidence-based approaches to national development.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh