Labour expert Austin Gamey has called for urgent action from the government to implement labour statistics reforms, emphasizing that such a move could immediately create jobs and serve as the foundation for Ghana’s much-discussed 24-hour economy.
Speaking on Prime News on ABC News GH on Monday, February 10, Gamey described the proposal as a key step in transforming the labour market.
“It’s just timely that if the President and the ministry are mindful about it, it can create jobs by itself almost immediately. Maybe that will be the beginning of the 24-hour economy,” he stated.
His comments come in response to a call from Ofoase Ayirebi MP, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who recently urged the newly appointed Minister for Labour, Jobs, and Employment, Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, to prioritize the establishment of an independent office for labour statistics in Ghana.
Nkrumah argued that the lack of a centralized employment data body has led to inconsistencies in job creation figures from successive governments.
Gamey agreed, describing the situation as a long-standing issue that has persisted due to delays in implementation.
“It’s a question of waste of time. It has been in the Labour Law since 2003,” he noted.
“The Labour Law clearly should be given a push into LI 1833, which was not properly done. We have talked about it, and it’s part of the plan to do it.”
He further stressed that proper implementation of labour statistics reforms would provide a “real signal as to what should be done and not to be done” and serve as a valuable “database for the national development planning committee to plan with clear-cut statistics.”
Call for Broader Reforms
Beyond labour statistics, Gamey highlighted the need for broader institutional reforms within the Ministry of Labour, Jobs, and Employment.
“There is a whole lot of reforms that should be done in that particular ministry,” he said. “Including what we used to call the Fair Wages and Salary Commission, which will have to give way to a better system.”
According to him, integrating labour statistics into a well-structured framework could drive informal sector jobs into the formal economy and create “real change in this country.”
