The Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, Mussa Dankwah, says public dissatisfaction with the government's flagship policies is being driven more by slow implementation and limited job creation than by opposition to the policies themselves.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM's Top Story on Monday, July 27, while discussing findings from the research firm's latest survey, Mr. Dankwah explained that the poll formed part of a longitudinal tracking study of voters conducted in July. Alongside tracking voter sentiment, the survey assessed public perceptions of some of the government's key campaign promises, including the 24-hour economy, the Women's Development Bank, the Big Push infrastructure programme, the Free Academic Policy, cash transfers, and apprenticeship initiatives.

According to the survey, the 24-hour economy received a rating of 4.2 out of 10, while the proposed Women's Development Bank scored 4.6 out of 10.

Mr. Dankwa attributed the relatively low ratings primarily to the pace at which the initiatives are being rolled out.

Using the Women's Development Bank as an example, he said many Ghanaians are yet to see tangible evidence that the policy is taking shape.

"The bank is still on paper. Banks are seen operating on the main street, but people have not seen any branches yet. They've heard that GH¢410 million has been set aside as seed capital, but they haven't seen the bank operating," he said.

He expressed confidence that public perception could improve once the bank begins operations and its branches become visible.

"I think what will happen is that when the branches begin to open, perception will begin to change with regards to how they perform on that," he noted.

Mr. Dankwah described the 24-hour economy as the government's biggest implementation challenge, arguing that the policy has evolved from how it was initially presented during the election campaign.

He said many voters now struggle to connect the government's current implementation strategy with the original campaign promise, creating uncertainty and affecting public confidence.

"The biggest one is the 24-hour economy, which I think is their biggest headache. It was sold one way, but if you listen to what is happening now, it has shifted completely. Unless they are able to explain themselves very well, and to the satisfaction of people, it will still be a drag on them," he said.

Despite the concerns, Mr. Dankwa stressed that employment remains the most important measure by which the public will judge the policy.

He argued that if the initiative succeeds in creating significant numbers of jobs, public opinion is likely to improve regardless of how the programme is ultimately structured.

"If jobs become abundant and people get jobs, they wouldn't care how it is branded. It's the lack of jobs that is pushing them to rate the 24-hour economy very low," he said.