Ayariga questions change from ‘24 hour markets’ to ‘district model markets’

Founder and Leader of the All People’s Congress (APC), Dr Hassan Ayariga, has questioned the government’s decision to rename the “24 Hour Markets” initiative as “District Model Markets”.

Dr Ayariga said the change requires clarification because the 24 Hour Market concept had become closely associated with the government’s flagship 24 Hour Economy policy.

In a statement, the APC said the original concept provided a clear and practical identity for the policy by signalling that selected markets and commercial centres could operate beyond conventional business hours.

According to the party, the initiative also had the potential to expand opportunities for traders, businesses, workers and consumers as part of a broader economy operating beyond traditional working hours.

Dr Ayariga therefore argued that any decision to alter the name or identity of the initiative should be clearly communicated to the public.

“The APC therefore believes that any decision to change the name or identity of the 24 Hour Markets must be properly explained to the Ghanaian people.”

He acknowledged that the government could be seeking to broaden the programme through the development of modern markets across the various districts.

However, he cautioned that dropping the “24 Hour” identity without adequate explanation could create uncertainty over the government’s intentions and the future of the policy.

Dr Ayariga said the rebranding could also create the impression that the original 24 Hour Market concept had been abandoned or was no longer a key component of the government’s economic agenda.

The APC further argued that the change could give political opponents and critics grounds to suggest that the rebranding reflects difficulties in delivering on aspects of the 24 Hour Economy policy.

Dr Ayariga consequently urged the government to ensure that its campaign promises, policy implementation and public communication remained consistent.

Rather than completely dropping the original identity, he proposed that the government combine the 24 Hour Economy branding with its broader district market development plans.

“If the objective is to combine the 24 Hour Economy concept with a broader district market development programme, government could consider a name such as '24 Hour District Model Markets.'”

The APC said such a name would retain the visibility and identity of the 24 Hour Economy policy while allowing the government to pursue the development of modern markets across the districts.