<<Print>>

Government has been asked to put premium on Research, to help speed up the country�s socio-economic development. Dr Jonas Boadi, a retired Research Fellow of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, (CSIR), said lack of financial support for Research activities had been the bane of the nation�s slow progress. He said things need to radically change, if elected leaders are really serious about transforming the lives of the people. Dr Boadi was contributing to discussions at a �pro-poor investment forum,� organized by the Offinso Municipal Assembly at Offinso in the Ashanti Region.. �Creating unlimited opportunities for job/wealth creation at the grass root level to accelerate local economic development; the role of stakeholders� was the theme for the forum. It brought together agro- processors, aquaculture experts, small and medium-scale entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders, and was part of a deliberate effort by the Assembly to promote public-private partnership to drive the area�s development. Dr Boadi said everything possible must be done to find the money to support research activities, to promote innovation and efficiency. That is the way to go, to tackle the country�s development challenges, and turn the economy around. He said it was also important to make sure that Research findings were not kept on the shelves, but must the utilized. Mr Samuel Asiedu, Senior Project Officer at the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI), counseled entrepreneurs not only to register their businesses, but to also adopt best practices to sustain their operations. Mr Evans Gyampoh, Officer in charge of the Kumasi Zonal branch of the Export Development and Agricultural Investment Fund, (EDAiF), encouraged farmers, fabricators, and people engaged in non-traditional crops, to access loans from the Fund to expand their businesses.. Mr Baafour Kese-Amankwaa, Offinso Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), urged loan beneficiaries to pay back on time, to allow others to also enjoy the facility.