Accra, Feb.9, GNA - The Suame Intermediate Technology Transfer Unit (ITTU) in Kumasi is to be recapitalised with 1.5 million dollars over the next four years beginning from 2004.

This is to make the ITTU serve as a Centre of Excellence for Precision Production and Industrial Technology Transfer focal point. The Suame ITTU has been the backbone of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Technology Consultancy Centre (TCC) where most of the hardware of the Centre are designed, developed and manufactured.

This was contained in a report presented by Professor Kwesi A. Andam, Vice-Chancellor of the University at its 37th Congregation held in Kumasi at the weekend.

He said despite the pivotal role the ITTU played as a centre for new product development and transfer it had not seen renovation or upgrading of its machinery and machine tools for over 15 years.

The report said in response, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) had initiated" Developing the Agricultural Machinery Industrial Service" (AMIS) project in Ghana.

The project is to develop centres of excellence for capacity building in equipment and tool making.

The TCC has also been selected by UNIDO and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiative (PSI) as one of two centres to develop competency and capacity within local metal industries. The industries are those that manufacture and supply efficient and reliable agro machinery equipment and implements using standardized parts, which are developed and produced locally.

The ultimate goal of the project is to assure availability or adequate development production, maintenance and repair services for equipment essential to agricultural production, food processing and income generation.

The report said to fulfil the TCC's second role of consultancy, the Centre collaborated with the departments of Mechanical and Agricultural Engineering of the KNUST to secure over 500 million cedis (0,5 Billion cedis) contract.

The contract from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) is to produce cassava-grating machines for rural enterprises as part of the government's effort to promote rural small-scale businesses, which seek to alleviate poverty.