President Nana Akufo-Addo
Stakeholders at a day’s consultative meeting on the draft Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy in Accra have commended government for increasing its resource allocation to promote industrialization and sustainable development.
According to them, the increased allocation from the current 0.3 percent to 1 percent of the country’s GDP will greatly enhance activities in the STI sector, including research and implementation of projects and move the country forward.
Deputy Minister for Environment Science and Technology, Patricia Appiagyei, who addressed participants, comprising stakeholders from industry, civil society and the media, said the STI constitutes the foundation of the national development process.
She said the new approach will therefore allow government to assess its strengths and weaknesses in STI and find appropriate ways of addressing and enhancing them.
“This is the main rationale for our ministry’s decision to put in place a Science Technology and Innovation Policy to guide our national development,” she said.
Policy
The new STI policy, which is expected to be an improvement in the existing policy will highlight priorities for the application and development of Science, Technology and Innovation and would broadly spell out the goals and objectives for STI application in the country.
The new policy is also expected to outline the mechanisms for achieving the goals, as well as providing guidance on the use of scarce science funds.
A participatory approach has therefore been adopted by the Ministry to engage stakeholders from various affiliate sectors to contribute their ideas and knowledge.
STI Council/Fund
Dr George Owusu Essegbey, Director, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Science and Technology Policy Research (CSIR-STEPRI), who presented the STI Policy to stakeholders, highlighted two major additions to the policy, which includes the setting up of an STI Fund and Council.
He said the setting up of the fund will solve the issue of the lack of adequate funds to support the activities of the sector.
“When the policy goes before Parliament by the end of the year and it is approved, government will contribute to the fund for STI development in the country,” he said.
Dr Essegbey further noted that the formation of the advisory council will also promote important STI issues at the presidency.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri