Raph Poku Adusei, the Member of Parliament for Bekwai in the Ashanti Region, has raised strong concerns about the government’s proposed 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill, describing the planned secretariat as unnecessary and a potential waste of public resources. Rather, the legislator says the Mahama government should use the funds allocated to establish the Authority to pay the arrears owed to cocoa farmers.
Speaking in an interview on Amansie 91.7 FM, the lawmaker said cocoa farmers deserve better than what the Mahama administration is taking them through. He indicated that the cocoa producer price cut amounts to a complete betrayal by the government of the ordinary cocoa farmer in the country.
The government has announced a new producer price for cocoa, setting it at GH¢41,392 per tonne for the remainder of the 2025/2026 crop season in a move aimed at stabilising the sector and supporting farmers.
The new price, approved by the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), takes effect from Thursday, 12 February 2026. The revised rate translates to GHc2,587.00 per bag, down from GHc3,625.00.
Addressing the press on Thursday, 12 February 2026, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson explained that the decision was informed by prevailing conditions on the international cocoa market.
He said the adjustment reflects current global cocoa prices and is intended to restore confidence across the industry.
The Minister further indicated that the new rate is expected to inject immediate liquidity into the cocoa value chain, helping to fast-track payments to farmers who have experienced delays in recent months and easing financial pressures at the farm level.
The price revision, he noted, forms part of broader reforms to ensure the long-term sustainability of Ghana’s cocoa industry. He described the measure as necessary to stabilise the sector, strengthen its financial footing, and secure better outcomes for cocoa farmers.
“As a result of that, the PPRC thereby announces that effective today, Thursday 12th February 2026, the new producer price for the remainder of the 2025–2026 crop season will now be 41,392 Ghana Cedis per ton and 2,587 Ghana Cedis per bag,” he said.
Mr. Poku Adusei, in his interview, further noted that the implementation of a 24-hour economy cannot be driven by an additional office created in Accra, but by the various institutions and sectors already operating across the country.
He argued that Ghana already has agencies such as the Passport Office and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) functioning around the clock, not because of a special Authority, but due to increased staffing and improved operational systems.
In his view, the government should focus more on strengthening existing institutions and expanding employment opportunities for the youth.
The Bekwai MP further cautioned that the proposed Authority could lead to role conflicts and confusion, noting that its mandate appears unclear.
He questioned whether the new body would have the legal power or capacity to compel private companies and institutions to operate 24 hours a day, suggesting it may end up as another bureaucratic structure without defined responsibilities.
“Ghana can naturally become a 24-hour economy if we manage the country properly,” he stressed.
Mr. Adusei also expressed doubts about the Authority’s governance structure, which would include a CEO and a five-member board appointed by the President. He questioned whether the appointments would truly be based on expertise, especially since the concept is relatively new in Ghana.
He further urged Parliament to rise above partisan divisions on major national policies. He called on both sides of the House to contribute ideas collectively to ensure the 24-hour economy vision is backed by strong systems, infrastructure, efficiency, and meaningful job creation.
Mr. Adusei cautioned that the proposed 24-Hour Economy Authority could create conflicts of interest and undermine the very objectives it is meant to achieve. He questioned the necessity of the new body and raised concerns about provisions he believes could open the door to misuse of sensitive information.
Mr Adusei drew attention to sections of the bill that allow the use of information “without authorisation,” warning that such wording could encourage abuse and weaken accountability. “In my view, I don’t think anybody should have the authorisation to use the information he or she has acquired to the detriment of the authority,” he said. He urged lawmakers to amend the clause, stressing that legal safeguards must protect institutions from internal exploitation.
The Bekwai MP further argued that the authority risks becoming ineffective if its mandate is not clearly defined, potentially resulting in overlapping roles, inefficiencies, and governance challenges.
Despite the concerns raised, Parliament on Friday, 6 February 2026, passed the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill after days of debate between the ruling Majority caucus and the Minority.
The legislation, laid before Parliament in late 2025, paves the way for the establishment of a national body to coordinate the rollout of Ghana’s 24-hour economy policy across both public and private sectors.
Under the law, the authority will align government agencies and businesses, mobilise investment, and ensure regulatory and infrastructural systems are in place to support round-the-clock economic activity.
The bill forms a key pillar of President John Dramani Mahama’s flagship economic agenda, which was officially launched on 2 July 2025 alongside the Accelerated Export Development Programme.
President Mahama described the initiative as a transformative national strategy aimed at boosting productivity, creating jobs, and shifting Ghana from a raw-material exporting economy into a globally competitive, value-adding industrial hub.
“The 24-Hour Plus programme is not just about extending working hours. It is about unleashing productivity, accelerating exports, and expanding opportunity through structured, multisectoral interventions,” the President said.
The strategy is built around eight thematic sub-programmes, including GROW24 for agriculture and food security, MAKE24 for manufacturing, BUILD24 for infrastructure, SHOW24 for tourism and the creative arts, CONNECT24 for logistics and digital systems, FUND24 for financing, and ASPIRE24 for skills development and ethics.
The government maintains that the authority will provide the necessary coordination to achieve these goals, while critics like Adusei insist that Parliament must ensure stronger safeguards, clearer responsibilities, and bipartisan cooperation to prevent the new body from becoming another bureaucratic structure without accountability.
