Accra: Former Coordinator of the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative, Gifty Ohene-Konadu, has raised concerns over the current government's focus on the 24-Hour Economy policy, suggesting it closely resembles the industrial framework of the 1D1F programme introduced by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to Ghana Web, Ohene-Konadu emphasized that the 1D1F policy was primarily driven by the private sector, with government support in the form of duty waivers, tax holidays, and infrastructure assistance aimed at promoting industrial growth across various districts. She highlighted that the government also provided participating factories with subsidised loans, technical consultancy services, and market access support.
Ohene-Konadu argued that numerous factories under the 1D1F initiative were already operating night shifts, a core component of the current 24-Hour Economy Policy. She questioned the rationale behind discontinuing the 1D1F policy only to introduce a similar system emphasizing continuous production.
She pointed out that the infrastructure developed through the 1D1F initiative, which provided entrepreneurs support to build or expand factory facilities, was crucial. Without it, the implementation of the 24-Hour Economy policy might have encountered significant infrastructure hurdles.
Ohene-Konadu proposed that a more effective strategy would have been to enhance the 1D1F policy by offering industries raw materials and flexible loan packages. This would enable entrepreneurs to modernize their factory operations to align with contemporary standards.
Despite recognizing the 24-Hour Economy policy's goals of boosting economic growth, creating jobs, and reducing poverty, she asserted that these objectives are not fundamentally different from those pursued under the 1D1F programme.
Ohene-Konadu concluded by describing the 1D1F policy as comprehensive and forward-thinking, suggesting that the 24-Hour Economy concept may merely be a political slogan that essentially reinforces the industrialisation efforts initiated by the 1D1F policy.