Kumasi, November 21, 2025 – Government has reaffirmed its commitment to building a resilient, inclusive and community-driven economy anchored on cooperatives, MSMEs, and modernized production systems. This assurance was delivered at the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) celebration held under the global theme “Co-operatives Build a Better World.”
Delivering the keynote address, the Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, Mr. Augustus Goosie Tanoh, explained that the 24-Hour Economy Programme is intrinsically aligned with the principles of cooperativism, both in philosophy and in practice.
“Corporatism is an idea whose time has come again in Ghana,” he noted.“The 24-Hour Economy is not just about factory shifts. It is about creating a national economy that works for all of us, around the clock.”
Mr. Tanoh criticized the colonial economic structure that still shapes Ghana’s production system, one in which the country exports low-value raw materials while importing high-value finished goods. “We now import $3 billion worth of food that Ghana can produce. This cannot continue,” he cautioned, stressing the need for structural reforms that empower local producers.
The Presidential Advisor also assured stakeholders of government’s readiness to mobilize the necessary institutional and financial support. “We are ready to work with cooperatives across all regions to raise the funding and technical assistance needed to revive and modernize the sector,” he emphasized.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Hon. Dr. Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, the Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Eyram Tottimeh, highlighted the pivotal role of cooperatives in advancing national development. “Co-operatives are more than business entities, they are people-driven institutions built on solidarity, equity and shared prosperity,” he said. “Indeed, co-operatives build better communities, and that is how they build a better Ghana.”
Mr. Tottimeh further underscored the contribution of cooperatives to the National Employment Policy, the Youth Entrepreneurship Initiatives, the Green Jobs Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals. “Co-operatives are partners in shaping resilient local economies and driving national development, not beneficiaries,” he stressed.
Source:Mybryfmonline.com/Public Affairs Unit, MLJE
