24-hour economy jobs promise are “audio announcements” – Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
Ranking Member on Parliament's Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has cast doubt on the government's claims of job creation under its flagship 24-hour economy programme, arguing that the figures being presented are based on projections rather than verified employment.
His comments follow an announcement by the Secretariat of the 24-Hour Economy programme that it had secured Joint Development Agreements worth US$5.5 billion with co-development partners as of May 2026. The Secretariat also said 268 filling stations and 33 manufacturing companies had begun operating under the initiative's multi-shift model.
However, Mr Oppong Nkrumah contended that the government's reported creation of about 160,000 jobs has not been backed by evidence demonstrating that people have actually been employed and are earning salaries.
Speaking ahead of Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson's Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026, the former Information Minister said the Minority would assess the programme based on implementation and actual outcomes rather than official announcements.
“The job numbers are audio announcements. They are in the pipeline. They are not on the payroll,” he said.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah also questioned whether the programme was on course to deliver the scale of employment originally promised by the government.
“The 24-hour economy promised about 1.7 million jobs. Its direct 2026 allocation is 110 million Ghana cedis,” he stated.
He further criticised the government's reliance on businesses already operating around the clock, particularly fuel stations, as evidence of the programme's success.
“If you look at the detail of the 160,000 jobs that they are claiming out of a number of filling stations that are operating 24 hours, it is laughable,” he said.
“You all know that filling stations were operating in this country before the NDC came to power. So to claim that about 300 or so filling stations are operating 24 hours as evidence of a functioning 24-hour economy programme and 160,000 jobs announced out of it is laughable.”
Mr Oppong Nkrumah maintained that agreements signed with private sector partners should not be equated with actual employment.
“A memorandum of understanding is not a payslip,” he added.
The comments come as the government prepares to present its Mid-Year Budget Review, during which the implementation of key economic programmes, public expenditure and overall economic performance are expected to come under close scrutiny.
According to the Ranking Member, the Minority will focus on actual disbursements and project execution rather than budgetary announcements.
“When announcements are made, that's not what we'll be looking at. We'll be looking at the cash releases because they tell two different stories. It is the cash release that tells the truth,” he said.
The 24-hour economy programme is one of the government's flagship initiatives, designed to expand production, boost industrial activity and create jobs by encouraging businesses in selected sectors to operate on a round-the-clock basis.