Mr John Kuuku Dsane, a retired Forensic Psychiatry Specialist, who worked in the United Kingdom, said Ghana can rake in more revenue, annually, by instituting the 24-hour-economy for growth advancement.

He said the country could take advantage of that economic policy to position herself as an attractive destination for investment, fostering economic growth, creating job opportunities, and contributing to the development of the retail sector.

Mr Dsane, now based in Ghana, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Friday that due to evolving the global economic landscape, it was imperative to consider the adoption of the proposal as a policy to enhance job creation and employment opportunities for the youth.

‘Embracing the 24-hour- economy is a strategic move for Ghana to catalyze economic growth, reduce unemployment, and enhance global competitiveness,’ he said.

‘By adopting a holistic approach and implementing supportive policies and infrastructure, Ghana could unlock its full economic potential and i
mprove the well-being of the citizenry.’

He outlined the key reasons and benefits of transitioning to a 24-hour system of work and suggested strategies for its successful implementation to encourage businesses to operate ’24-seven’.

These include tax incentives, regulatory reforms, and financial support for businesses making the transition, investment in reliable and efficient infrastructures like transportation, energy and communication systems to support uninterrupted operations.

Others are to provide training to equip the workforce with the skills required to make a 24-hour working system thrive, ensuring a seamless transition and maximizing the benefits of extended working hours.

Mr Dsane stressed on public awareness campaigns to educate citizens about the benefits while addressing concerns or misconceptions about the policy.

Seeking collaboration with international organisations and countries that had been successful in the implementation of a 24-hour-economy must also be prioritised, he said.

‘A c
ontinuous economy accommodates the diverse lifestyles and preferences of individuals. It also allows for flexible work schedules, enabling employees to choose hours that best suit their needs.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

About 111,609 small holder Farmers have benefitted from the ‘Grow Ghana’ an initiative of Yara Ghana Limited, to help improve food security and farmer resilience.

The beneficiaries were mostly women and persons living with disabilities in some selected regions in Ghana.

In 2022, Yara Ghana Limited began a rapid response initiative dubbed ‘Grow Ghana’ to help small holder Farmers avert food insecurity occasioned by the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on global supply chains and limited fertilizer availability.

Yara, in collaboration with the African Fertilizer Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) committed USD 20 million dollars to supply 18,000 metric tonnes of premium fertilizers to Farmers for free as well as access to low-cost high quality crops.

This was made known at a closure event of the initiative in Koforidua where 3,875 bags of fertilizers were distributed to women and persons with disabilities farmer groups.

Mrs Theresa Randolph, country Manager, Yara Ghana Limited, said impact of resilient, susta
inable and profitability farming system for small holder Farmers through the initiative had been huge.

She explained that under the initiative small holder Farmers who were women and persons living with disabilities were each given a free bag of fertilizer on every two bags of fertilizer purchased.

‘That way we reduced the cost of every acre of farming by 33.3 percent to women and vulnerable persons to improve yield and food security,’ she disclosed.

Approximately 18,000 metric tons of YaraMila Actyva fertilizers, were distributed for free and increased production of over 500,000 metric tons of cereals.

The initiative provided employment for over 500 community-based agents, supporting the monitoring of distribution in the retail and distributor shops as well as technical support through farmer-based demonstration fields.

Mr Yaw Frimpong Addo, a deputy minister of agriculture in charge of crops commended Yara and partners for the initiative and hoped that the gains made would be sustained.

He said the se
cond phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) was a further boost to the agriculture sector especially smallholder Farmers and other vulnerable groups to increase yields as well as profits.

Source: Ghana News Agency