Government has announced plans to develop the country’s technological capability by investing in a national technological centre.

The new technology initiative, which was announced at the presentation of the 2020 budget by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta in Parliament Wednesday, will be called the Ghana Design and Manufacturing Centre (GDMC).

The centre will be the prime exhibition for “excellence in design, manufacturing and technology commercialisation,” the Minister said.

GDMC will also facilitate the incubation of new technological industries and serve as a resource for national research institutions and private industry.

According to the Finance Minister, investing in science and technology is the way forward to push for industrialisation and improve the country’s technological capabilities.

The government’s plan for GDMC is said to potentially help achieve the government’s ultimate goal to compete globally with countries whose technological capabilities are advanced and developed.

As part of the government’s industrialisation crusade to provide basic life necessities and infrastructure and to reduce national poverty rates, it has so far constructed 200 out of 560 small earth dams in keeping with its ‘One District, One Dam’ promise.

Apart from implementing its other flagship initiative -- ‘One District, One Factory’ -- the government has adopted a Strategic Anchor Industries Initiative to diversify and transform the economy by creating new pillars of growth and expansion.

To further the agenda, it has also partnered the Ministry of Agriculture to construct 80,000 metric ton warehouses.