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The flag bearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has said that the 24-hour economic policy is to ensure that service providers were always ready to attend to the needs of the people at all times of the day.
He said it was not a new policy since it was contained in the 40-year development plan launched by the NDC while he was in office.
Mr Mahama was addressing a large crowd in Kumasi to kick-start his #BuildingGhanaTour to the Ashanti Region which began yesterday with a walk through some principal streets of the Kumasi Metropolis to educate the public on the 24-hour economy policy being championed by the party.
The walk formed part of activities of a three-day Building Ghana Tour of the region by Mr Mahama to meet with stakeholders and identifiable groups to explain the rationale behind the 24-hour economy policy and to get their buy-in.
People from all walks of life including former government appointees and NDC parliamentary candidates joined the walk which ended at the Jubilee Park where they were addressed by the leaders of the party.
Notable among the leaders who graced the occasion included the former Minister of Finance, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Commissioner of Police (Rtd) Nathan Kofi Boakye, former Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Prof Joseph Akpaloo and former Central Regional Minister, Samuel Sarpong.
Addressing hundreds of supporters at the Jubilee Park, the NDC flag bearer held aloft the hands of Dr Kwabena Duffuor and Kojo Bonsu, indicating that the party had dropped all issues in the run-up to the contest of primaries and joined forces as one big party for the task ahead.
“I’m speaking of all constituency and national executives that democracy is like a contest for chieftaincy in a family.
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Party supporters in Kumasi
All eligible persons stick out their necks to contest, but immediately after there is a winner, the family closes ranks as one unit”.
“Hence, this morning, I’m with my brother Dr Kwabena Duffuor and Kojo Bonsu and we have raised our hands together for you to know that we belong to one family,” Mr Mahama said.
The former President revealed that a reconciliation committee was going round the constituencies to speak to all contestants for peace and unity among them
Mr Mahama said a team was currently working on the 24-hour economy policy document and would include all those requirements in it for easy implementation.
He therefore implored the people to ensure that they returned the NDC to power come December 2024 to implement this well thought out policy for benefit of all Ghanaians.
The former President called on the government to listen to Ghanaians and abolish the Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity.
He said VAT has been operational in Ghana for close to 20 years now and no government has ever imposed it on electricity with the exception of the New Patriotic Party.
“If the government knows what is good for them, they would withdraw it as Ghanaians would not pay it,” he said.
Making allusion to the recent impasse between the regional chairman of the NPP and the traditional authorities, Mr Mahama said NDC as a party has always held Asanteman and the chiefs in high esteem and would never act in a way to show disrespect to them.
He said the party has always had the welfare of the people in the region at heart as the reason why most of the monumental developmental projects in the region were initiated by the NDC.
He cited the current Kejetia Market, the completion of the Sofoline interchange, the phase of the Kotoka International Airport and the Water project for Kumawu and Konongo as some of the projects undertaken by the NDC.
He said the party would continue to hold the region in high esteem and would not look down on anyone.
