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President Nana Addo Akufo-Addo Dankwa reaffirmed that the implementation of sectoral policies, programs and strategies focused on the overall national policy on science, technology and innovation for national development.
To achieve this feat, President Akufo-Addo said that there had been "many conferences, debates, points and counterpoints in Ghana and abroad, all geared towards the seemingly insoluble problem of the deficit of the country. Industrialization of the Ghanaian economy ".
President Akufo-Addo highlighted this point at the opening of the national conference on reducing the technological gap at Peduase Valley Resort in Peduase.
The conference brought together scientists, engineers, technologists and innovators from Ghana and the Diaspora, including Dr. Joseph Odartey Cruickshank, Consulting Engineer, Aerodynamics, General Electric, Houston, Texas, and Professor. A.O. Ebo Richardson of California State University.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the first pillar of the policy framework stems from a commitment made in the 2016 PNP manifesto that Science, Technology and Innovation would receive a lot of attention from the president.
He noted that successive governments have put in place various science, technology and innovation policies to try to advance the country's march to the pinnacle of technical sophistication.
In order to bridge the technological gap in the country's transformation process, the President announced that the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Professor Kwabena Frimpong- Boateng was in the process of developing a strategic framework for science and technology. it will be based on seven pillars.
"By an instrument notice, I recently established a Presidential Advisory Council on Science, Technology and Innovation (PACSTI), an advisory body within the presidency.
"PACSTI, composed of eminent Ghanaian scientists from various fields, will advise the President on ITS issues and keep him fully informed of current developments in ITS and their relevant applications for national development," he said. President.
The second pillar is the coordination of all sectoral activities involving science, technology and innovation via an interministerial coordination council on science, technology and innovation.
The Council's mandate emphasizes close collaboration between key ministries such as trade and industry, agriculture, aviation, education, energy, communications, business development, government water and sanitation, land and natural resources, roads and transport.
The third pillar recognizes the need for a strong partnership between government, public research institutes, academia, and science and industry.
The imminent establishment of the Ghana Center for Innovation and Research (GIRC-Center) indicates that this center will serve as a bridge between the government, public research institutes and universities, on the one hand, and industry, on the other hand. 'other. It will also provide incubation centers with the basic facilities that our innovators will need and add an additional perspective to the work being undertaken as part of the National Plan for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The fourth pillar is based on the premise that currently negligible research and development (R & D) funding for science, technology and innovation must reach a significant level.
"That's why I promised that a minimum of 1% of Ghana's GDP would be allocated to R & D in the short and medium term, to reach 2.5% in the long run. I am determined to live up to this commitment, "he said.
Considering that the fifth pillar is the most crucial, said President Akufo-Addo, his Government attaches great importance to the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at all levels of the country's education system.
The sixth pillar states that the STI program framework must be supported by legislation to give it courage and continuity of implementation.
According to President Akufo-Addo, an STI bill needs to be approved by Parliament to facilitate the implementation of the STI policy and institutionalize the statutory support for the policy.
The seventh pillar places a strong emphasis on the development of strategic technology areas such as agriculture and food processing; environment, waste management and circular economy; oil and gas sector; biofuels, green energy and energy storage systems; health and pharmaceuticals; information and communication technologies (ICT), with emphasis on 3D printing, artificial intelligence, robotics, micro-controllers and processors, as well as software engineering; financial technology (Fintech); mining and mineral processing; and manufacturing, based on precision machining and digital fabrication.
President Akufo-Addo said the ministry is working with the Ministry of Education to set up a foundry and control center for numerically controlled machine tools in Accra and Kumasi.
"These facilities will be used to make tools, equipment and instruments to support key sectors of the economy such as agriculture and industry.
The goal of this initiative is to accelerate industrialization, help solve the problem of widespread unemployment in the country and generate wealth that will remain in the country, "he said.
With the full implementation of these policies, President Akufo-Addo hoped that "we will begin to see clearly the outlines of a Ghana Beyond Aid program.
It will be a prosperous Ghana, whose economy is run by an entrepreneurial and innovative private sector. This country will serve as a regional hub for financial services with full employment, a low poverty rate, a stable currency and low inflation. "
Source: ISD (Rex Mainoo Yeboah)
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