Chairman of the National Development Planning Committee, Dr Nii Moi Thompson, has urged the government to place small and medium‑sized enterprises at the centre of the 24‑hour economy to accelerate job creation.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, Thompson said that while the state has attracted large‑scale investment, it must now give greater attention to smaller businesses to ensure the flagship programme delivers across the economy.
“My expectation is that in the next two years, they will focus more on the SMEs also, so that you cover the whole spectrum. You don’t put all your eggs in the big businesses per se,” he said.
Thompson noted that large businesses need time before their investments begin to have a significant impact, adding that the government must simultaneously strengthen support for existing enterprises.
He highlighted that the analysis carried out before adopting the 24‑hour economy showed existing businesses are critical to job creation, and that the programme’s success has yet to gather the speed it deserves.
Beyond creating new jobs, Thompson stressed the need to improve the quality of existing employment, explaining that job creation should be measured as net jobs—new jobs created minus jobs lost over a period.
“But we also have a problem of not just unemployment in Ghana, but also underemployment, poor quality of work,” he said, calling for the government to prioritise improving existing jobs over the next two years.
He also traced the 24‑hour economy’s origins to the 48 Development Plan, noting that several initiatives, including the Ministry of Sports and Recreation and the proposed Ghana Agency for Development Cooperation, emerged from that plan.
Thompson’s remarks come as the government seeks to fine‑tune its economic strategy to create a more inclusive and resilient labour market.
