D.A.P.I.T. - Ghana Inaugurates A Programme For Intermediate Technology
Poku Adaa
In an attempt to institute active co-operation and collaboration between scientific research and industry, the Ministry of Industries, Science & Technology has launched a programme for the Development and Application of Intermediate Technology (D.A.P.I.T.). Poku Adaa, our correspondent, reportsGhana's programme of industrial dev- elopment which began in the early 1960s was gigantic and very ambitious. It concentrated on large scale and medium scale industries, the majority of whom depended and still do depend on raw materials imported from over- seas suppliers. That programme had little incentive for the development of small scale industries which could have made use of locally available raw mat- erials. What small scale industries there are now have existed as isolated units which do not fit into any national policy plan and which have left the rural areas poorer and undeveloped.
The urgency to accelerate growth, development and productivity of small scale industries in Ghana was recog- nised by government in 1981 with the establishment of a National Board of Small Scale Industries with the object- ive of the formulation and implement- ation of small scale industrial develop- ment programmes and to institute new and efficient modes of production and to provide technological know-how.
As a continuation of this policy, the present government has taken steps to carry the programme on further by bringing the Scientific Research community, financial institutions and the Ministry closer together to give prac- tical realisation to the programme. To this end, the Ministry of Industries, Science & Technology has launched its programme, D.A.P.I.T and inaugurated a 12-member Committee to be responsible for the selection of projects for finance and execution and eventual development. The aim of D.A.P.I.T., according to the Ministry, is to transfer appropriate technologies to the rural areas after it has developed, tested and demonstrated the suitability of the projects.
It is one of the bilateral ventures between the American Agency, U.S.A.I.D and the Ghana government, negotiations of which began five years ago in 1979. Already C4 million and $2 million have been jointly spent by the Ghana government and U.S.A.I.D. respectively in respect of the programme's pioneer projects in the Ashanti, Greater Accra and Northern regions.
The programme is being implemented through several institutions in the country, viz. Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (C.S.I.R.) through its affiliate institutions such as the Food Research Institute (F.I.R.), the Industrial Research Institute (I.R.I.), the Information Documentation Unit (I.D.U.) and also the Technology Consultancy Centre in Kumasi which is already a world-renowned centre for development of Appropriate and Intermediate Technology. Another role of the Selection Committee is to disburse the available funds currently estimated at nearly $1 million as soft loans to entrepreneurs who are prepared to adopt any of the projects selected by the Committee.
The programme has a great potential and the Ministry should widen the scope of collaborating institutions so that the Programme's impact would be felt nationwide. The Management Development & Productivity Institute (M.D.P.I.) for instance has a functioning department for small scale industries and has available expertise to contribute to the D.A.P.I.T. programme. This point was re-echoed by an Official of M.D.P.I. at a seminar on Livestock and Poultry which the institute organised for private farmers in June this year. The M.D.P.I, according to the official, has facilities and resources which can offer immense assistance at all times to enable small scale industrialists acquire efficient skills in the managing of their enterprises.
It is very encouraging also to know that the C.S.I.R. has been involved in D.A.P.I.T. from the outset since its institutes, especially the I.R.I. has made tremendous strides in recent months which is very reassuring. The I.R.I. has manufactured a prototype bio-gas plant using cow-dung and various industrial and agricultural wastes as sources of energy and waiting for finance to carry it to mass production stage. Again the I.R.I. has announced the production of a water- purifier from locally available bauxite and the Ghana Water & Sewerage Corporation has been approached to cease importation of alums so that it can assist the I.R.I. financially to mass produce the substance for its use.
The benefits of small scale industry need not be over-emphasized as it has the capacity to employ a large sector of the idle youth, arrest the rapid rural-urban drift and curb the rampant over-saturated distribution and retail trading practices.
There are constraints, however, since in the present Ghana's economic climate there are many factors such as poor communications and infrastruc ture like transport and power which can retard the aims of potentially beneficial programmes like D.A.P.I.T. It is assumed that the Ministry of Industry, Science & Technology has the capability to address itself to some of these problems
