Government urged to set up special fund for research works

Kumasi, April 3, GNA - A suggestion has been made to the government to consider setting up a special fund in support of works of research scientists designed to evolve appropriate technology for development of the economy.

Mr Opoku-Agyemang Prempeh, Managing Director of Lakayana Company, a general building and civil engineering firm, who made the suggestion, said apart from the fund, government should also institute some mechanism that would facilitate marketing and judicious utilisation of such research findings or products.

Mr Prempeh was speaking at a day's seminar on "The Role of Social and Youth Clubs in National Development" for social clubs in Kumasi on Saturday.

He said since research was the key to any industrial development, industrial concerns in the country should perceive it a moral duty to also supplement government efforts by devoting a proportion of their profits to support research works.

He observed that injecting funds alone to support the conduct of research and failing to ensure that the final products of the researchers were put into productive use does not augur well for development and amounts to a waste of resources.

"The essence of research is defeated and the vision undermined if we fail to put the final product into uses that can transform the economy", Mr Prempeh stressed.

He noted that the country boast of a lot of research scientists who have been able to research into various sectors but unfortunately have had their final works only gathering dust on the shelves, thereby dampening their spirits.

Mr Prempeh was of the conviction that the practice of exporting raw cocoa beans would have been a thing of the past if government's genuinely committed adequate funds to research scientists for their endeavours and also ensured that results of their research are fully utilised.