Koforidua, Jan. 14, GNA - Eminent scientists and engineers on Thursday began a two-day review meeting on the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Document in Koforidua. The programme, which the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology organising with support from the World Bank, is aimed at enabling the participants to incorporate their comments, where necessary into the draft document.

Ms Sherry Ayitey, the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, reiterated the commitment of the government to prioritize the development of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy. She said the socio-economic development of any country was largely based on the existence of a carefully developed policy on science, technology and innovation and its effective implementation. "Indeed Science and Technology is the dividing line between developed and developing countries", she said.

Ms Ayitey said when the National Democratic Congr ess (NDC) government came back to power a little over a year ago the Ministry was re-established to ensure effective utilization of science and technology to improve the general socio-economic status of the country. She said Science, Technology and Innovation Policy must resolve the poor coordination and weak linkage between policy and national development planning as well as over reliance on the use of foreign expertise to the neglect of the use and development of local expertise. "The policy must aim at creating endogenous and technology capacities appropriate for national needs and priorities. It must also create a science and technology culture among the citizenry". Ms Ayitey said the Ministry would embark on a public awareness campaign on the document in the second and third weeks of February and that a national forum to adopt the policy would also be held later next month.

During an open forum the participants commended the ministry for coming out with a good document and appealed that the policy should not be set aside whichever government comes to power in the future.