Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy Authority: MP’s Opposition and the Cocoa Farmer Alternative

Published: February 15, 2026

Introduction

The Ghanaian government’s push to institutionalize a 24-hour economy through the establishment of a dedicated 24-Hour Economy Authority has sparked significant parliamentary debate. At the forefront of the opposition is Ralph Poku Adusei, the Member of Parliament for Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. He has publicly criticized the proposed secretariat as an unnecessary and costly bureaucratic layer. Instead, he proposes a radical redirection of the allocated resources: using the funds meant for the Authority to directly pay Ghana’s cocoa farmers, a sector vital to the national economy but often plagued by financial instability for its producers. This article provides a comprehensive, SEO-optimized analysis of the policy, the MP’s critique, the practical alternatives he suggests, and the broader implications for Ghana’s economic transformation.

Key Points

Background: The 24-Hour Economy Policy and the Proposed Authority

What is a 24-Hour Economy?

A 24-hour economy (or 24/7 economy) refers to an economic system where businesses, services, and infrastructure operate around the clock. This model aims to maximize productivity, optimize asset utilization (like factories and transport networks), create shift-based employment, and cater to diverse consumer needs at all hours. Countries like the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore have leveraged aspects of this model to boost economic output and global competitiveness.

Ghana’s Policy Framework: The “24-Hour Plus” Programme

In July 2025, President John Dramani Mahama launched the “24-Hour Plus” programme as a central pillar of his economic agenda. It is explicitly linked to the Accelerated Export Development Programme, with the overarching goal of transitioning Ghana from a raw-material exporter to a competitive, value-adding industrial hub. The policy is structured around eight thematic sub-programmes:

• GROW24: Agriculture and Food Security
• MAKE24: Manufacturing
• BUILD24: Infrastructure
• SHOW24: Tourism and Creative Arts
• CONNECT24: Logistics and Digital Systems
• FUND24: Financing
• ASPIRE24: Skills Commercialization and Ethics
• (Implied) COORDINATE24: The role of the proposed Authority itself.

The government’s stated intent is to provide the organizational “glue” to coordinate these sectors, mobilize investment, and ensure regulatory and infrastructural support for non-stop economic activity.

The Proposed 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill

Laid before Parliament in late 2025, the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill sought to create a new statutory body. Its proposed governance structure included a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a five-member board, all appointed by the President. The Authority’s mandated functions were to align government agencies, attract capital, and oversee the implementation of regulatory and infrastructural frameworks necessary for the 24-hour policy across both public and private sectors.

Analysis: Deconstructing the MP’s Opposition

Ralph Poku Adusei’s critique is multifaceted, touching on practical implementation, governance, legal safeguards, and fiscal priorities. His arguments represent a significant school of thought that prioritizes institutional strengthening over bureaucratic creation.

1. The “Unnecessary Bureaucracy” Argument

The MP’s central thesis is that the 24-hour economy concept is valid, but its execution does not require a new “secretariat” or Authority in Accra. He points to existing examples: the Passport Office and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) already operate extended or 24-hour shifts in some locations. This, he argues, was achieved not by a new law but through “increased staffing and improved operational techniques” within the existing institutional framework. The implication is that the same approach—resource allocation and process re-engineering to existing ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs)—is more efficient and cost-effective.

2. The Mandate and Role Conflict Concern

Adusei questions the clarity of the Authority’s mandate. If its purpose is to “coordinate,” what legal power does it have to compel private businesses or even other government agencies to operate 24 hours? He predicts it will become “just another bureaucratic structure without defined accountability,” potentially leading to overlapping roles with existing bodies like the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, and sector-specific regulators. This overlap could create confusion, inefficiency, and “position conflicts” rather than seamless coordination.

3. Governance and Appointment Worries

The MP expresses specific concern over the governance model: a presidential appointment board and CEO. He questions whether appointments would be based on “experience” for a “fairly new concept in Ghana,” raising the specter of political patronage over technical competence. This taps into a broader Ghanaian discourse about the politicization of state boards and the need for merit-based appointments in economic management roles.

4. The Critical Data Protection and “Unauthorized Use” Clause

This is one of the most legally specific critiques. Adusei highlights provisions in the bill that allow the Authority to use information “without authorisation.” His warning is stark: such wording “could encourage abuse and weaken accountability.” He stresses the need for “legal safeguards to protect institutions from internal exploitation.” This touches on fundamental principles of data protection, privacy, and the potential for state overreach. In an era of digital governance, clauses granting broad data access without clear, stringent conditions are red flags for civil society and legal experts.

5. The Fiscal Priority Argument: Cocoa Farmers Over Bureaucracy

The MP’s most politically potent alternative is his call to use the funds earmarked for the Authority’s establishment and operation to directly pay cocoa farmers. Ghana’s cocoa sector is the backbone of its agricultural export economy, yet farmers often face delayed payments, low farmgate prices, and financial precarity. Redirecting funds here addresses a tangible, immediate need for a key voting constituency (rural communities) and a critical export sector. It frames the debate not as “24-hour economy vs. nothing,” but as “bureaucratic expansion vs. direct support for productive citizens.”

6. The Call for Bipartisanship on National Policy

Adusei urges Parliament to “rise above partisan divisions” on this major policy. He advocates for joint contributions from both the Majority and Minority to ensure the 24-hour vision is “backed by robust systems, infrastructure, efficiency, and meaningful job creation.” This is a plea for the policy to be depoliticized and subjected to rigorous, collaborative scrutiny to avoid it becoming a partisan project prone to reversal or failure after an election cycle.

Practical Advice: Alternatives and Paths Forward

Based on the MP’s critique and broader economic principles, here is a framework for achieving a more productive, round-the-clock economy without necessarily creating a new Authority.

For Policymakers and Parliament:

1. Amend the Bill: Parliament must rigorously review and amend the bill, particularly the clauses on data use. Introduce explicit, narrow conditions for any data access, aligned with Ghana’s Data Protection Act, with strong oversight mechanisms.
2. Clarify Mandate and Boundaries: Legislate a crystal-clear mandate for any coordinating body. Define exactly what “coordination” means—is it advisory, facilitative, or regulatory? Explicitly state what it cannot do to avoid overlap. Consider making it a lean, time-bound “implementation unit” within an existing ministry rather than a standalone authority.
3. Prioritize Institutional Strengthening: Mandate a review of key MDAs (DVLA, Passport Office, Ghana Revenue Authority, utilities) to identify operational bottlenecks. Allocate specific funds for staffing, digitization, and process re-engineering within these bodies to extend their service hours efficiently. This leverages existing capacity.
4. Incentivize, Don’t Mandate (for Private Sector): Instead of trying to compel private businesses, use tax incentives, streamlined licensing for 24-hour operations, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure (like security, lighting, transport) to encourage voluntary adoption of shift systems where commercially viable.
5. Conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis: Commission an independent, public analysis comparing the 5-year projected cost of the new Authority (staff, offices, operations) versus the economic impact of directly injecting those funds into the cocoa sector or other productive interventions.

For Cocoa Sector Reform (The MP’s Specific Alternative):

1. Direct Payment Systems: Use proposed funds to accelerate the implementation of a transparent, digital direct payment system to cocoa farmers via mobile money, reducing delays and leakage in the value chain.
2. Input Subsidy and Price Stabilization: Allocate funds to strengthen the Cocoa Stabilization Fund or provide targeted subsidies for fertilizers and pesticides, lowering production costs and improving net incomes.
3. Access to Credit: Create a dedicated cocoa farmer credit guarantee scheme using these funds to enable farmers to access loans for farm improvement from commercial banks.
4. Productivity Programs: Finance mass extension services, distribution of high-yield seedlings, and training in modern agronomic practices to boost yields per hectare, directly increasing farmer revenue.

Synergy Opportunity: A more productive, financially secure cocoa farmer base could itself contribute to a 24-hour economy. With higher incomes, demand for 24-hour services (retail, transport, entertainment) in cocoa-growing communities could organically increase, creating a bottom-up driver for round-the-clock activity.

FAQ: Common Questions About Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy Plan

What exactly is the “24-Hour Economy Authority” meant to do?

According to the government, it is a coordinating body tasked with aligning all government agencies, mobilizing investment, and ensuring the regulatory and infrastructural frameworks (like security, lighting, transport) are in place to support businesses and services operating 24/7 across key sectors like manufacturing, tourism, and logistics.

Does Ghana already have 24-hour operations?

Yes, but in a limited, ad-hoc manner. As noted by the Bekwai MP, some government offices (DVLA, Passport Office) and private entities (hospitals, security firms, some factories) already run shifts. The policy aims to systematize and massively expand this across the formal economy.

Is creating a new Authority the only way to achieve this?

Critics like MP Adusei argue no. They contend it can be achieved by tasking and resourcing existing ministries and agencies (e.g., Ministry of Employment, Ministry of Transport, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre) to promote and facilitate 24-hour operations within their sectors, avoiding the cost and complexity of a new legal entity.

Why is the MP focusing on cocoa farmers?

Cocoa is Ghana’s primary agricultural export and a major source of foreign exchange. However, many of its over 800,000 farmers remain poor. Redirecting funds from a new bureaucracy to this sector addresses immediate poverty and export revenue concerns. It’s also a powerful political and economic argument: invest in the existing productive base rather than in unproven administrative overhead.

What are the main risks of the Authority as currently drafted?

Key risks include: 1) Becoming a redundant, expensive bureaucracy with overlapping functions, 2) Lack of enforcement power over private sector, leading to ineffectiveness, 3) Potential for political patronage in appointments, 4) Weakened data privacy and security due to broad “unauthorized use” clauses, 5) Diverting funds from critical, immediate needs in sectors like agriculture.

How can Parliament improve the bill?

Parliament can: 1) Delete or severely restrict the data access clauses, 2) Define a narrow, non-overlapping mandate, 3) Consider subsuming the unit under an existing ministry, 4) Include strict sunset clauses (e.g., review after 3 years), 5) Mandate detailed cost-benefit analysis and reporting requirements to ensure accountability.

Conclusion

The debate surrounding Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy