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Ms Shirley Ayittey, Minister of Environment Science and Technology (MEST), has appealed to research institutions under the ministry to come up with innovative strategies to propel science and technology as catalyst for increased productivity and national development. She said the government wanted to see science and technology as the driving force behind the country's growth and is therefore interested in making sure that useful research findings are adopted. Ms Ayittey was addressing separate durbars of research scientists and staff of research institutions under the ministry at Fumesua near Kumasi on Tuesday. The institutions are the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI), Crop Research Institute (CRI) and the Soil Research Institute (SRI). The minister visited laboratories, plants and sampled some of the products which have been developed and produced by the institutions. Ms Ayittey said a new Science and Technology Bill had been drafted and if approved would help bridge the gap between policy and research. The Bill provides for the establishment of a National Science and Technology Fund to assist make research findings easily available to the private sector, to increase productivity, create jobs and solve some of the environmental problems facing the nation. Ms Ayittey said they would ensure that local research and technological findings were utilized to benefit the country. The Minister called on research scientists to come together and share ideas on their findings in order to encourage local entrepreneurs to adopt for use in their industries. A conference and exhibition for all the research institutes to showcase their findings and activities would be held next year. Alhaji Baba Salifu, Director General of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), praised the minister for showing keen interest in the activities of the research institutions. He said the 13 institutes that form the council have all made tremendous impact in the socio-economic, industrial and environmental development of the nation and called for governmental support to deploy the numerous research findings to benefit society.