Kumasi, May 04, GNA - Mr Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector and PSI, has called on industrialists to factor waste management into their packaging designs to minimize environmental problems.

He said some traditional foods created high volumes of packaging waste and urged industrialists to use science and technology to address the shortcomings.

Mr Kyerematen made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the three-day maiden packaging exhibition of the Department of Communication Design of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) dubbed "Packaging Ghana" in Kumasi on Wednesday.

Speaking on the topic "The Relevance and Benefit of Packaging to Trade and Industry", Mr Kyerematen said packaging was one of the banes of local industry and stressed the need for concerted efforts to address the challenge to move the industry forward.

He said the Ministry in collaboration with other stakeholders was working hard to reactivate students' attachment to industry to provide the platform to prepare them for work.

"The Ministry will in this regard work closely with the Department to ensure effective teaching and learning in packaging while packaging industry will also reach out to the Department for effective strategy for their mutual benefit," He added.

Professor Kwesi Akwansah Andam, Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, said the exhibition was one of the university's strategic means to put her creative resources and technological expertise at the disposal of the country as it strived to attain a middle-income economic status. He emphasized that KNUST was ready to contribute effectively towards the government's industrial initiatives and efforts towards making the "Golden Age of Business" a reality.

Prof. Andam said items displayed at the exhibition were the modest contribution of the university towards enhancing the value and appeal of existing and potential made-in-Ghana products.

Professor Daniel Buor, Provost of College of Art and Social Sciences, told the students that the Government alone could not create job opportunities, it was time they took advantage of the economic environment to enter into micro projects and establish their own industries.

Mr Jebuna Awuku-Appiah, Head of Department of Communication and Design, announced that the Packaging Design Institute of Ghana would soon establish a linkage programme with the Department. 04 May 06