The Minority Leader in Parliament and Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has criticised the Mahama administration’s 24-hour economy policy, describing it as more of an NDC campaign slogan than a well-thought-out policy initiative.

Speaking on The Point of View on Channel One TV with Bernard Avle on Monday, February 16, 2026, Afenyo-Markin questioned the rationale behind the policy’s implementation, particularly the passage of a Bill to establish a 24-hour economy authority.

“This so-called 24-hour economy, I think they themselves understood it more as a campaign slogan than a policy. From all that is happening, I saw the Bill, they brought it and passed it, that they were creating a 24-hour authority. Another bureaucracy? I’m sorry. What do you need a Bill for? If the initiative is to create jobs, you look at the private sector, not government institutions,” he said.

Afenyo-Markin argued that the government should rather focus on strengthening existing economic initiatives. He suggested that the Trade Ministry could have built on former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s One-District-One-Factory policy to stimulate private sector growth.

According to him, easing taxes on imports and reviewing the implementation of the One-District-One-Factory initiative would have been more effective in promoting job creation and supporting businesses.

He added that there is currently significant uncertainty within the private sector, which requires clear and practical policy direction.

“You have the Trade Ministry, what they should have done was to continue former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s One-District-One Factory, a very super economic policy for the private sector.

“You relax taxation on imports, specifically for the private sector. They could have reviewed the One-District-One-Factory and continued the rollout. There’s so much uncertainty in the private sector,” he stated.