President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed that the newly launched 24-Hour Economy will be driven by the private sector, with government acting as a facilitator rather than a dominant force.
Speaking at the official launch of the programme in Accra on Wednesday morning, the President emphasized that the initiative branded as the 24-Hour Plus Programme is designed to create an enabling environment for private enterprise to thrive.
“The private sector will lead the 24-Hour Plus programme. Government will facilitate and not dominate,” President Mahama stated.
He clarified that public funding for the initiative would be “catalytic”, serving as seed capital to support the 24-Hour Plus Authority and bulk infrastructure, rather than exerting control over operations.
“Any government funding in 24-hour plus will be catalytic, serving as seed funding for the 24-hour plus authority and support bulk infrastructure”.
This model, he explained, is intended to unlock larger pools of financing from commercial banks, development finance institutions (DFIs), and blended finance instruments ensuring the programme remains commercially viable and fiscally sustainable.
The 24-Hour Economy, a flagship policy of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), aims to boost productivity, expand employment, and optimize infrastructure use by promoting round-the-clock operations in key sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and agro-processing.