adminIF there was a need to work 24/7, it’s now for the country to achieve meaningful economic growth.
Naturally people slow down on Fridays and Mondays and this effectively means they work between Tuesday and Thursday.This means the dollar circulation between people is only between Tuesday and Thursdays and that’s not good enough for the country.
The effective production hours are thus reduced to these three days and that cannot drive a recovering economy. Delta makes money because their products are sold 24/7. Econet is the same mode and it’s the same with television based entertainment.
These firms are 24/7 oriented in approach hence they are the biggest in terms of revenue and capitalisation on the market. Compare with the transport industry. Can you imagine if you sold oxygen/air? How much revenue you will generate? The same reason you can’t close hospitals should apply to other businesses.
We need therapy whether it’s retail, manufacturing, tourism, education and so forth, that’s immaterial. Why do retail shops open between 8AM and 5PM when all people are at work? Try 10AM to 7PM. Why close at lunch time when people are free and why close on weekends as that is when most people are free to shop and do other activities including financial.
In other progressive countries like China and neighbouring South Africa its business arounda the clock. Imagine if Christianity and other religions were about Saturday and Sunday, there would be moral chaos in world. That is why people worship or practise their faith 24/7 otherwise by the second coming all will have perished.
Las Vegas doesn’t close at night. Its open all day and the economy is booming. China has been working 24/7 and look where they are.
Hospitals don’t close, hotels don’t and supermarkets don’t anymore. Nigeria has also switched to the tune.
You can’t afford to observe Monday to Friday working conditions and expect miracles on your growth prospects. The 24/7 concept increases employment creation to cover for the extra working hours for Saturday and Sunday.
It increases money circulation, which is necessary for the economy to tick. The rentals are the same. You might as well maximise that with the number of holidays Zimbabwe has. There is no need for calendars and weekdays as everyday is a working day.
We are blinkered by calendars and names of the days of the week when we all need to think about is business and more of it. Why should Sunday, Saturdays slow you down when overheads still remain the same. Whose Sunday or holiday? Is it such that you can’t generate extra revenues?
Those that cultivated such thoughts were selfishly thinking that their business only increases during working hours as people only do their personal business when they are off thus increase efficiency. No reason to do personal business during business hours as it can still be done when one is free as no business closes.
Imagine an economy where banks don’t close, churches are open every day, government departments work 24/7, Zesa and BCC banking halls didn’t close, car sales were opened 24/7, garages run 365 days and farmers plant all year round.
Facebook as a company doesn’t sleep at all across all time zones, look who and where they are. So who are we to have the luxury of oversleeping, holidays, weekends and going home as early as 5 O’clock in the afternoon? There is an inbred culture of laziness that is retrogressive and is cancerous and not only unique to government offices but private firms too.
It’s worrisome, cancerous and regrettably deep rooted. It’s 24/7 & 365 or 366 days in a leap year. Let no one tell you otherwise.
Taken from MoB Capital website, a Bulawayo-based microfinance institution.
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter