24-Hour Economy Is Your Growth Engine” – Goosie Tanoh Tells Businesses

Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, has assured businesses that the government’s 24-hour economy initiative is designed to fuel expansion and unlock new opportunities. He encouraged enterprises across the country to position themselves to benefit from the policy, stressing that the system being built will actively support growth. His remarks came during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the 24-Hour Economy Authority and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on Tuesday. The agreement aims to coordinate the rollout of round-the-clock operations within Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector. Under the deal, the NPA will establish and enforce standards to ensure 24-hour readiness across fuel stations, refineries, bulk storage facilities, and tanker operations. These standards will cover key areas such as lighting, security, staffing, digital fuel monitoring, and fire safety. The 24-Hour Economy Authority will, in turn, create an enabling environment by coordinating security deployment and broader government support for certified operators. The partnership is expected to align the petroleum sector with the wider 24-hour economy agenda, which focuses on boosting agro-processing, expanding manufacturing, and strengthening logistics corridors nationwide. A reliable, continuous fuel supply is seen as essential to driving these sectors. Implementation will begin with a nationwide pilot targeting about 10 percent of the downstream industry, with security deployment identified as an immediate priority. The NPA has already set up a Steering Committee and technical teams to prepare for the transition. The initiative brings together major stakeholders across the petroleum and security value chain, including the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies, Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors, BOST Energies, tanker unions, refineries, and state institutions such as the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Revenue Authority. Mr. Tanoh emphasized that the programme goes beyond extending business hours, noting that it is focused on building industrial capacity that will generate sustained demand. “We are not only asking operators to stay open longer. We are building the enterprises and industrial capacity that will create growing demand for these services,” he said. “To the factory owner in Tema, the trader in Tamale, and the transport operator along the Accra-Kumasi corridor — if you are ready to grow, we are building the system to support you.” Chief Executive of the NPA, Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, added that the agreement aligns the Authority’s regulatory role with Ghana’s broader economic transformation agenda. “We will ensure that standards for 24-hour operations are clear, enforceable, and designed to protect workers, consumers, and critical infrastructure,” he stated.