We will set up a 10 million cedi fund for innovations- Dr. Sakara

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) Presidential candidate, Dr. Abu Sakara, has revealed his government will set up a 10 million cedi Research and Development Fund dedicated to innovations.

This, he said, was aimed at moving “ideas from the shelf to the factories” and to drive the economy forward.

The CPP Presidential candidate who was answering a questions on how to make science and technology the core of Ghana’s economic development at the IEA’s Presidential debate on Wednesday said the “science and technology gap is directly reflected in the poverty gap. If we do not have science and technology driving the economy, then you will find that we are not able to close the income generation and the other measures that we need to take to improve people’s lives.”

He also pledged to improve the quality of technical and vocational institutions.

The National Democratic Party’s (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama promised to increase students scholarships in the field of science and technology to GHC 10,000, especially for girls.

He also stated that the expansion of local assembling plants of laptops in the country was going to be expanded and noted, “we are also distributing laptops; 66,000 distributed already and under the next term of government, we will distribute 400,000 laptops to students across the country.”

Meanwhile, the New Patriotic Party’s candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo promised that that institutions offering science and technology as core subjects, were going to be made to refocus to boost their effectiveness.

The People’s National Convention’s (PNC) candidate, Hassan Ayariga on his part said his government will totally change Ghana’s educational curricula to “start with science and technology rather than free education" because according to him, science and technology is core to Ghana’s economic development.

“Our government will re-emphasize and change the curricula of education rather than free,” he said.