One Percent of GDP for Science and Technology Research - -Minister

By Solace Esi Amankwa and Abu Mubarik

The government will be spending one percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on science and technology research, Professor Frimpong Boateng, Minister for the Environment, Science and Technology and Innovation, has disclosed.

Professor Boateng noted that the current budget of about 0.25 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was inadequate and not even enough to pay scientists well.

He was speaking at the commissioning of the first-ever Museum of Light at the Museum of Science and Technology in Accra.

The commissioning of the Museum of Light coincided with the International Day of Light which focuses on harnessing the potential of light and light-based technologies for development.

"This is what the president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been saying all along since his inauguration that for us to make any headway, we have to use science and technology in our national development," he said.

Prof. Boateng also noted that nations that had progressed in the area of scientific research have devoted as much as 3.5 percent of their GDP to research.

The commissioning of the Museum of Light brought together people from academia, the world of physics, school children pursuing mostly science and the general public.

In a statement, Mr Kwame Sowu, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Museums and Monument Board, disclosed that a collection policy would soon be rolled out to help collect items from individuals.

"We have a lot of illustrious families and citizens of Ghana who would love to see their items properly stored in museums," Mr Sowu said.

He noted that sometimes many a family, alive or dead, would not have these items properly preserved and exhibited for the public while sometimes unscrupulous family members would steal some of these items and, thereby, deny the country and the citizens the opportunity to learn from some of these items.

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