THE government has engaged scientists of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi to study the shelf-life of bottled pito beverages under the President's Special Initiative (PSI) on agro-based industries for the northern sector.

The study, commissioned by the President, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, is aimed at prolonging the shelf-life of bottled and canned pito for more than three months to enable pito breweries to bottle the local stuff under hygienic conditions for export and the local market.

Mr Stephen Engmen, Special Assistant to the Upper West Regional Minister, disclosed this at a regional public forum on the 2003 budget at Wa on Wednesday.

He said the government is committed to establishing agro-based industries in the northern part of the country to stem the tide of seasonal migration of the youth to the south in search of menial jobs such as porterage.

Mr Engmen said apart from the PSI on breweries in the north, the government has selected cotton also for support to produce it in abundance to feed the textile industries.

On the budget for 2003, he commended the government for drawing up a national framework for female porters, popularly called "kaya yee", to remove them from the streets.

Mr Engmen compared the dehumanising state of "kaya yee" to the trokosi system, and the female genital mutilation that is being abolished through the Poverty Reduction Strategy of the government.

Mr Kale Caesar, a representative of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who presented a paper on the budget, said the sudden reduction in the importation of poultry products and rice could lead to shortages in the system.

He said the government should have provided enough incentives for poultry and rice farmers to enable them to increase production before announcing the reduction in imports.

He urged the government to place emphasis on the development of water resources in the country to ensure adequate provision of water for both domestic and industrial use since Ghana is well endowed in water bodies.

Mr Bishop Akologo, the acting Executive Director of Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), organisers of the forum on the 2003 budget, said the aim of the forum was to increase public participation in governance.