Consult, get buy-ins first for 6 to 6 policy, Hon Minister

Mmegi Editor | Monday April 20, 2026 06:00

While the minister is of the view that the proposal would have significant positive economic impact, the entertainment industry players believe otherwise. The issue has over the weeks become a hot potato. But what is of essence right now is that the country needs liberal ideas to move in the right direction While opening up the economy may sound quite interesting to the ear, rolling out extended trading hours through pilot programmes without first consulting those most affected is not just poor process, it risks undermining the legitimacy of the policy itself. Public policy, particularly one as complex as a move towards a 24-hour economy, cannot be built on a ‘test first, consult later’ model.

By the time pilots are underway, positions begin to harden, investments are made, and outcomes can start to feel preordained. Consultation at that stage risks becoming a formality rather than a genuine opportunity to shape the direction of policy. A credible approach demands the opposite sequence. Engagement must come early, before implementation, and it must be more than a box-ticking exercise. The range of voices needed here is quite broad: major hospitality groups with significant capital at stake, small operators working on thin margins, public health experts concerned about alcohol-related harm, law enforcement managing late-night safety, and residents whose communities will absorb the impact. Leaving any of these groups at the margins weakens both the policy and public trust in it.

There is also a question of structure. Effective consultation is not ad hoc or symbolic; it is organised, transparent, and properly resourced. Stakeholders need clear channels to contribute, access to relevant data, and confidence that their input can influence outcomes. Without that, “engagement” becomes little more than a communications exercise. Perhaps most importantly, industry participants and community representatives must be part of decision-making itself, not merely observers.

A seat at the table is not a concession; it is a practical necessity when policies directly affect livelihoods, safety, and the entire fabric of local areas. Pilot programmes can be valuable tools, but only when they are used to test genuinely-open questions. When pilots are perceived as mechanisms to validate decisions already taken, they invite skepticism and, potentially, legal challenge on procedural grounds. If the ambition is to build a sustainable and broadly supported 24-hour economy, the path matters as much as the destination. Policy developed through genuine partnership stands a far better chance of success than one introduced first and explained later.

Today's thought

There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all- Peter Drucker