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Monday, September 14, 2026

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24-Hour Markets Must Be Driven by Economic Demand, Not Political Branding — Minority Caucus

Kwaku Antwi Boasiako September 14, 2026 2 min read

The Minority in Parliament has cautioned the government against treating the construction of 24-hour markets as an end in itself, arguing that the success of such facilities must be determined by genuine economic activity and demand within the communities where they are established.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, September 14, 2026, at Job 600, the Ranking Member on the Local Government and Rural Development Committee, Francis Asenso-Boakye, said a market could not become viable simply because it had been designated a “24-hour economy market.”

“A market does not become a viable 24-hour economy market simply because the government calls it one,” the Minority stated.

According to the Minority, operating a market around the clock requires sufficient commercial activity, traders willing to operate at night, customers to patronise businesses, as well as security, reliable transportation, electricity, sanitation, water and other supporting services.

The Minority argued that these conditions vary considerably from one district to another and therefore questioned the suitability of applying a uniform approach to communities with different economic circumstances.

It said the government should move away from simply asking where it can construct a 24-hour market and instead determine what each community actually needs to strengthen its local economy.

The Minority noted that while some communities may require new markets, others may benefit more from rehabilitating or expanding existing facilities. In other districts, investments in roads, drainage, schools, health facilities or sanitation may be more urgent.

“The question should therefore not be, ‘Where can the government build a 24-hour economy market?’ It should be, ‘What does this community actually need to strengthen its local economy?’” the Minority stated.

The Minority consequently called for the programme to be redesigned to ensure that projects are needs-based and demand-driven, with local development priorities guiding decisions on where such markets should be established.

Kwaku Antwi Boasiako