Technology Is Missing Link In Nation's Development - Veep

Accra, (Greater Accra) 31 Oct., Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills today called for the right scientific and technological capacity to propel the nation's economic growth. ''The proper use of available resources with the appropriate application of science and technology appears to be the missing link in our national developmental effort,'' he said. Prof Mills was opening the Ninth Annual General Meeting of the Research Staff Association of the CSIR at the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) in Accra. In a speech read for him, the Vice President said government has taken the necessary steps in the Vision 2020 document to make science and technology the driving force of the nation's desired economic growth. ''The task of meeting this national goal and objective depends on the scientist and the researcher. ''The greatest challenge facing the researcher lies in creating the avenue for a meaningful contribution to the national cause. ''I expect you as local researchers to make it possible for us to reduce our dependency on foreign technologies and consultants. ''The sooner we recognize that nothing can replace local expertise, the better,'' Prof. Mills said. Prof. Mills called for renewed commitment and sacrifice from researchers to enable them to fill in the technological gaps in the nation's development. ''For example, in agriculture, there is the need for irrigation technologies, agricultural machinery, farm chemicals. ''In the industrial sector, industries suffer from outmoded and inefficient technologies making their products not competitive on the market. Some technologies are not friendly to the environment. ''In the area of health delivery, there is a high dependency on foreign drugs making health delivery very expensive, while the rapid rate of urbanization is compounding the problem of domestic waste.'' Prof. Mills asked researchers to focus on these specific development needs to help move the nation forward. Prof. W.S. Alhassan, Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) said the realization of the objectives of vision 2020 poses a great challenge to scientists. He called for a new breed of scientists committed to the generation of technologies that will propel Ghana into a middle income status by the year 2020. ''This daunting task calls for selflessness in the face of serious funding constraints for the promotion of research and development activities,'' Prof. Alhassan said. The meeting is under the theme: ''Harnessing Indigenous Technologies For National Development.''