Stakeholders scrutinize Biotechnology Policy

Accra, July 12, GNA - The Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Professor Emmanuel Owusu-Bennoah, on Thursday said the use and development of modern biotechnology should help Ghana attain technological self-reliance that would improve the living conditions of the people.

He said government, civil society and businesses shared a vision for prosperous and secured future and needed material and human resources that could turn their vision into reality.

"Our scientists and technologists must always be alert to even the smallest developments that can (improve) and make affordable Ghana's goods and services on the local and international markets," he said. Prof. Owusu-Bennoah, who said this at a day's stakeholder consultative workshop on the draft National Biotechnology Policy organized by Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of CSIR, said technological and scientific innovations could act as accelerators for Ghana's economic development. Participants scrutinized the draft policy, shared views and made additions to improve the policy before submission to government for adoption.

The policy is one of the key strategies needed to adopt to harness the potential of biotechnology for development. The CSIR Director-General noted that biotechnology policy would provide a framework for harnessing the immense benefits of the technology and provide measures for protection from dangers that may be linked to the scientific advancement in biotechnology. "Over the three decades of modern biotechnology application, there seems to be a general consensus that there are benefits in the technological advancement, which all countries need to take advantage of.

"The harm and risks, as well as the benefits against which they need to be weighed, are a primary concern and account for the need for a biotechnology policy for any country."

He explained that the process of drawing up policy had brought to their attention the double-edged character of the new technology. Prof. Owusu-Bennoah called for the need to provide a structure for political, social, regulatory and administrative responsibility as well as transparent decision processes for the development of the biotechnology policy.

Dr George Essegbey, Acting Director of STEPRI, who gave the details of the policy said the policy addressed issues on agriculture, industry, health and health care delivery, environment, and other sectoral goals. Other areas are Guiding Principles, Policy Goals and Objectives, Areas of Strategic Thrust, Policy Thematic Areas and Biosafety Policy Regime.

He said Ghana had made an explicit and major commitment to biotechnology by setting up the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) in 1993 but it had only been symbolic of the move to harness the potential of the technology as a generic and new technology to impact on the economy.

Dr Essegbey noted that the national vision of attaining a middle income status by the year 2015 with a per capita income of at least 1,000 dollars was a fundamental challenge on stakeholders in Science and Technology to maximize their contribution towards this attainment. He said there was the need for a biotechnology policy that focused on the country's comparative advantages to facilitate the development and application by biotechnology institutions.

Dr Essegbey called for effective awareness creation and expressed the hoped that the policy would add value to the whole process of developing the policy. 12 July 07