Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, says Ghanaians can expect jobs to be created under the 24-hour economy programme within the next one to two years.
This follows calls by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the government to show the programme’s practical implementation, nearly two years after its introduction.
Speaking to Channel One News on the sidelines of this year’s Africa Bio Conference on Tuesday, October 27, Mr Tanoh said the government was prioritising 10 to 15 projects out of 32 under the programme, with job creation expected as they are rolled out.
“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,” he said.
He explained that the programme was also aimed at strengthening local production and ensuring a steady supply of raw materials to industries, allowing them to operate at higher capacity.
“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,” he said.
Mr Tanoh said the initiative was expected to increase industrial capacity utilisation from between 36 and 42 per cent to between 80 and 90 per cent.
He added that job creation would depend on increased production and demand, noting that the government was laying the foundation to support both.
