The Executive Secretary of Anchoring Democracy Advocacy Movement Ghana (ADAM-GH), Azubila Emmanuel Abdul Salam has reiterated the explanation of the NDC’s 24-hour economy.
In his statement copied to Ghana News Guide, he offered the following explanation:
“Support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to thrive in a 24-Hour Economy with Extended Working Hours and Increased Customer Access
A 24-hour economy involves extending working hours from the typical 8 hours per day to 24 hours per day, as practiced in developed nations. It is backward and ignorant for African countries, which are mostly developing nations, to work fewer hours with numerous holidays and weekends.
There are 366 days in a year.
We have 96 days made up of weekends in a year.
We have 15 days made up of holidays in a year.
Thus, the total non-working days in a year are 111, which include holidays and weekends.
As a country, our active working days amount to 255 days, resulting in 2,040 working hours per year.
With a 24-hour economy, we will have three different shifts of workers. Currently, in Ghana, the official working time starts at 8:30 am and ends at 5:00 pm. Under the new system, the first shift will still start at 8:30 am and end at 5:00 pm. The second shift will start at 4:30 pm, 30 minutes earlier for a briefing, and end at 12:00 am. The third shift will start at 11:30 pm, take over at 12:00 am, and work until 8:30 am when the rotation begins again.
With the same 255 working days per year, which currently provide 2,040 working hours, implementing a 24-hour economy will increase the total working hours to 6,120 per year.
The Bible says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” Indeed, in Ghana, we are suffering due to a lack of knowledge and strategic thinking to turn things around’.
