Former Minister for Finance, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, has demanded full accountability from government over key policy promises under its flagship 24-Hour Economy policy ahead of the 2027 Budget presentation.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Press Corps on Tuesday, Dr Amin Adam alleged that government has quietly abandoned its initial delivery targets for key interventions, particularly the creation of 24-hour markets.
He disclosed that the 24-hour markets have now been rebadged as district economy markets or district model markets. According to him, the project has also been split into two separate phases, pushing completion to 2028 despite an original delivery deadline of 2026.
Dr Amin Adam argued that the shift in timelines and branding is evidence that the original 24-Hour Economy framework has failed. He insisted that government owes Ghanaians a proper account of the initiative rather than introducing a rebranded economic policy.
“As the 2027 Budget approaches, the central issue is therefore not whether Ghana needs a new economy. We certainly do. The issue is whether the government has demonstrated the capacity, financing, and policy discipline to deliver one, especially when it inherited a programme which had already taken the tough decisions, started implementation, and was delivering the anticipated results.Ghana News Website
“Ghanaians deserve more than another catalogue of promises. They deserve a credible plan, backed by realistic financing, measurable outcomes, and accountability for results. Therefore, before announcing a new economy, the government must first account for the promises of the old one,” he said.
The former Finance Minister further noted that the proposed economic agenda set for the 2027 Budget offers nothing new to the public.
He explained that its major pillars—commercial agriculture, energy, critical minerals, textiles and garments, tourism, and pharmaceuticals—heavily mirror and overlap with existing projects under the primary programme.
He also urged government to come clean on financial disclosures regarding public funds already disbursed for the market developments, demanding a complete breakdown of payments made to contractors so far.
In addition, Dr Amin Adam called on government to account for tax incentives and relief packages previously pledged to businesses before introducing fresh fiscal promises.
He recalled earlier commitments made by President John Mahama, which included a 50 per cent tax rebate for companies operating three shifts, a 25 per cent rebate for two-shift operations, import duty waivers on industrial machinery, off-peak time-of-use electricity discounts, and 24-hour port clearance operations.
Dr Amin Adam reminded government of its pledge to present a comprehensive package of these incentives to Parliament for approval, maintaining that the public deserves to know the status of those promises before new policies are laid before the House.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
