Economic gains must be felt in people’s pockets – Elvis Darko
Managing Editor of the Newscaneta Newspaper, Elvis Darko, has said the success of the government’s economic policy should ultimately be measured by its impact on the pockets and livelihoods of ordinary Ghanaians.
He said even though macroeconomic indicators may show improvements, the real test of the economy is whether individuals and households are experiencing those gains in their daily lives.
Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Monday, August 24, the veteran journalist said economic discussions must move beyond headline figures to examine how people at the micro level are affected.
“If the individual at the bottom are telling you that yes, the figures look good on paper, but personally, I don't feel that translating my life, then you realise that there's an issue,” he said.
Darko said the government's flagship 24-hour economy should therefore be assessed by examining whether it is creating new economic opportunities and putting more money into the hands of citizens.
He noted that some sectors in Ghana already operate around the clock, including hospitals, security services and mining companies, suggesting that the policy could build on existing 24-hour operations.
According to him, the key question should be whether government policy will lead more institutions and businesses to operate around the clock and create additional jobs and economic activity.
“The 24 hours apply to specific sectors, and I'm saying that if it becomes a government policy, my interest is that under government policy, how many institutions now are operating 24 hours, but were not before the policy came?” he asked.