The Dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Desmond Omane Acheampong, has revived calls for complete elimination of taxes on imported equipment and consumables for research in the country.

He argued that such a measure would encourage private industries to support academic institutions with high-powered equipment to drive the Ghanaian economy with technology, as well as the generation of research ideas by both academia and industry.

Prof.Acheampong made the remarks in an interview with the media on the side­lines of a presentation of research equipment and consumables valued at GH ¢7.5 million donated by NKAARCO Diagnostics Limited, Norwich, Limited, UK, to the Department of Biomedical Sciences.

The Dean observed that high import duties served as disincentive to both local and foreign industries to support research agenda of academia in the country.

"We cannot do research without industry players; they are needed to be able to push research forward. Funding will always come from industry to support research. One area that will help boost research is to waive taxes on imported research equipment and consumables or grant tax holidays to industries," he added.

In addition to the abolition of taxes, the Dean appealed to government to make deliberate effort to support academia to develop ideas through the establishment of a research fund.

"Usually research starts with ideation to phototype setting and testing and we will need research fund because most of the time private industry will not invest at that level", he explained.

The Dean called on academia to take the bold step to approach industry and involve industry players in all their research activities.

"...I think academia should take the first step to involve the industry players in curriculum development, involve them in the training of students," Prof. Acheampong stressed.

Source: Documentation and Information Section