NDC using 24-hour markets to cover failure to implement 24-hour economy — Okyere Baafi

New Juaben South Member of Parliament and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Trade and Industry Committee, Michael Okyere Baafi, has accused the government of using the 24-hour economy market projects to cover what he described as its failure to implement the 24-hour economy policy.

According to him, the 24-hour economy markets are fundamentally different from the broader 24-hour economy policy promised by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 general elections.

Mr Okyere Baafi said the government’s decision to introduce the market projects was an attempt to create the impression that it had fulfilled its campaign promise.

Speaking on Accra-based Metro TV’s Good Afternoon Ghana programme on Wednesday, August 19, the NPP lawmaker said the government had failed to meet the targets associated with the 24-hour economy policy.

“The 24-hour market is not the same as 24-hour economy. I’m telling you, 24-hour economy is not 24-hour market. Two distinct initiatives or different initiatives,” he said.

He explained that the 24-hour economy was presented as a manifesto promise and subsequently developed into a policy expected to operate under the Office of the President’s 24-Hour Economy Secretariat.

Mr Okyere Baafi argued that the 24-hour market projects, on the other hand, should fall under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development because of their focus on markets.

He accused the government of attempting to use the market projects to distract the public from its failure to deliver on the original 24-hour economy promise.

“This is just an afterthought. When they thought that they were failing, clearly they were not able to achieve the targets of working on the 24-hour economy, they said, ‘Okay, let us try to substitute, find a way to substitute the 24-hour economy with the 24-hour markets,’” he said.

The MP also criticised the government over reports that some schools were being demolished to make way for market projects.