News:
February 8, 2019
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Oforikrom in the Ashanti region, Dr Emmanuel Marfo is advocating Parliament with the collaboration with stakeholders to develop a framework for Research and Development (S&D) for the financing elements of government’s budgets.
The MP also urged Parliament to consider the establishment of a well resourced budget analysis support unit capable of providing support to committees of the House.
Dr Marfo made the suggestions on the floor of Parliament in a statement dubbed; ‘’Parliamentary oversight over Science and Technology Development in Ghana- a new Window for action”.
He commended President Akufo Addo for indicating that at least 1% of GDP will be allocated in the short-medium term and up to 2.5% in the long term as part of a seven pillar agenda for the development of science and technology.
According to him, the move is in line with article 38 of the 1992 constitution of the republic but observed that the allocation of 1 % of GDP to Science and Technology will only increase budgetary allocation marginally since 2015.
“If we were to commit a 1percent of GDP to Research and Development, we should have allocated some GH?2.3billion. If one takes the GoG budget allocation for MESTI from 2015 to 2019 as a proxy for R&D, government could be said to be achieving only 8.5% of the 1% GDP target and indeed using the entire Ministry’s budget will bring the figure to only 18%”.
The MP expressed worry there is no reliable data on the levels of Ghana’s spending on R&D to help provide basis for a credible scientific analysis.
Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com