PREAMBLE
It is common knowledge that the economy of Ghana cannot improve without a fundamental change in its structure and the introduction of new strategies. On the 15th of September, 2002 a group of eminent Ghanaian citizens launched an organization CTED- Center for Technology Driven Economic Development. Actually the full name was Knowledge-based Technology-Driven Economic Development, but was shortened to simply to the acronym.
The team of six is made up of the following:-
1. Mr. Robert Woode (Chairman), Ghana’s first agricultural Engineer, founder and Managing Director of FATECO LTD. – a company that specializes in the design and manufacture of miscellaneous machinery and equipment for industry and agriculture.
2. Professor K. Frimpong-Boateng (Secretary), – A Cardiothoracic Surgeon of international repute, President of the Ghana Heart Foundation, Director of the National Cardiothoracic Center and former CEO of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
3. Col. K. A. Jackson (Treasurer), – a Scientific Inventor and a Specialist in turbines for power generation.
4. Dr. Pastor Mensah Otabil (member), – a renowned pastor and teacher of international repute and Chancellor of Central University College, member.
5. Dr. Kofi Amanor Owusu Ansah (member) a Scientist and former Director or Industrial Research Institute of the CSIR. He was a member of the Council of State.
6. Onua Amoah (member) – an Industrial Scientist, Chemist and M. D. of Anuanom Industries (now deceased).

CTED asserts that the strategy for the transition to a knowledge-based Technology driven economic development depends primarily on the nation’s economic data base.
Since agriculture is the greatest contributor to GDP it will be prudent to start from here.

1. Data base on agricultural production must be collated.
2. This must be followed by an INPUT/OUTPUT MATRIX.
3. The Resultant Matrix would indicate the vertical and horizontal linkages as well as the strengths and weaknesses in the sector and therefore provide the Road Map for action.
4. With the Road Map new objectives will be declared to meet the exigencies of the new world economy and consequently identify the players – i.e. the role of state, private and joint state/private.
5. Having identified the players, they must be empowered. For wealth creation, empowerment must take place in three major areas.
(A). Finance
(B). Knowledge acquisition
(C). Technology and finally Commitment

Financial Empowerment
(A). Use donor non project funds, e.g. Japanese grants
(B). Use HIPC funds
(C). Create special funds e.g. EDIF etc.

Knowledge and Technology
(a). Use Universities, Polytechnics, Scientific Institute,
(b). GIMPA, MDPI, Information from INPUT/OUTPUT Matrix should guide selection of research topics.

Convert Scientific Institutes which themselves must be empowered through refurbishment and upgrading into Research, Production and Training Centers. It has been the tendency of Scientific Institutions to file their research results and wait for so-called entrepreneurs to take them up. Ghana has to be proactive. A way to ensure that the economy benefits from research findings is to turn these institutions into Research, Development, Production and Training Centers. This method will transfer knowledge and technology to the productive population for the benefit of the economy.

The economic spreadsheet emanating from the Input/Output matrix will help in prioritizing infra-structural program – Transport & Communication, Heath, Power supply systems, etc.
It is absolutely important to note that man’s basic needs are the following:-
1. Fresh Air
2. Safe Water
3. Balance food
4. Clothing
5. Shelter
6. Physical & electronic communication for human interaction

Any economic program that does not satisfy these basic demands will not be sustainable.
Health, security & safety concerns are naturally taken care of when the above six basic conditions are met.
STRUCTURE OF THE ECONOMY
The major objective is to change the economy from reliance on agriculture and industrial raw material producers to processed engineering goods and services using knowledge-based strategy.
A major pre-requisite is to create capacity for machine building through the establishment of an institution for Machine Tool Technology.

The need for setting up the project arises out of the following:-
a) Lack of Training, Education and Qualification at level of Entrepreneurs, Supervisors and workers.
b) Outdated manufacturing facilities.
c) Improper production methods.
d) Absence of precision finishing facilities.
e) Low productivity

Our development objective should be to enhance the competitiveness of the machine tool industry through
• Technical up-gradation
• Human Resource Development
• Increased Productivity
• Competitiveness

IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE

An immediate objective is to create facilities and organize training programm for industry personnel in:-
• Design
• Manufacturing of machine tools and to establish capabilities to offer services in areas as follows:
- Metallurgy
- Foundry
- Heat Treatment
- Consultancy
- Marketing, etc.

We need to understand that the categorization of nations into advanced/rich or developing/poor is an index of their technological advancement.

It is also common knowledge that the stage of technological advancement does not occur naturally. It must be planned and carefully executed with inputs from Government, Industry and knowledge producing and research institutions.

The greatest enemy to Poverty is Technology. An Institute for Machine Tools Technology gives us capacity to adapt, duplicate and produce urgently required machinery and equipment that would be determined from the Input/Output matrix and the economic spreadsheet.

This method will help to co-ordinate and focus efforts in efficient and productive manner and put the economy on the path of technological development and to ensure the transition from agricultural and industrial raw material producer to processed engineering goods and services.
Concurrently there is the need to establish large numbers of trade school institutions to absorb JHS pupils to be a bridge between them and the polytechnics in order to produce large numbers of craftsmen and artisans.

For accelerated development we might require help from countries such as India, China, and Korea for short term (3-6 months) attachment in industries. With the said machine tool technology centers, these people will be given the tools they require to make them productive – first to put up factories in the districts and the communities. The use of the input/output Matrix and the resultant economic spreadsheet as data base backed by knowledge and driven by technology and finally supported by mass participation of the population in production as happened in the OFY (Operation Feed Yourself Program) should permanently and swiftly transform this country from poverty to economic independence.

MASS PARTICIPATION IN PRODUCTION
The position of CTED is that this economy can be likened to a bus full of travelers that is stuck in mud with the engine unable to restart because of a faulty starter. Meanwhile this vehicle is threatened by a raging forest fire a kilometer or so away. There is only one pragmatic solution – all hands on deck to push-start the vehicle. This is the reality of Ghana situation.
CTED believes that Ghana’s economy can be salvaged by a combination of orthodox and unorthodox approach. The unorthodox method has been used by many countries in crisis to bail themselves. The Chinese, the Libyans and others used the method to create huge forests to arrest deforestation. The longest rail line in the world, Moscow-Vladivostok was built by masses of students.
Infrastructure in Russian Siberia was built mainly by students and the Army. South Korean women contributed their hair for the biggest wig industry in the world in the sixties. A few years ago the Egyptian Army was involved in production of engineering goods including engines, pumps, shoes, etc. Here in Ghana the results of the OFY were clear for all to see.
We believe that we can restore our lead in the cocoa industry and plant as many as ten million trees per year if we resort to mass participation in production.

SHORT TERM PROGRAM FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Information at our disposal indicates that there is good market for vegetables within the ECOWAS region and also in Europe. This is borne out of the fact that huge cargo trucks always come to Ghana from Togo to convey tomatoes whenever there is a glut.
Furthermore most vegetables processing companies receive orders for large quantities of vegetables-container loads per week. However, due to low production the requests for such products are always ignored. In view of its short gestation period it is recommended that Ghana takes the opportunity to capitalize on this.
Programming our production to meet especially the winter Market in Europe is prudent. The market for vegetables in Russia is particularly good. Vegetables can be produced for fresh consumption, processed in cans or jars or dry-packed.
Whipping enthusiasm to support a mass production program of one vegetable plant per citizen grown in 2kg of soil in miscellaneous containers – a twice a year program should produce 360 million EXTRA assorted vegetables plants.
Assuming a value of 3 GHC for a life – cycle of a plant, revenue of over one billion would be received.
A major advantage of mass participation in production is that PATRIOTISM is inbuilt in the population due to the feeling of part ownership built up in the participants.

THE ENERGY PROBLEM
The basic needs of man (fresh air, good water, balanced food, clothing, shelter) and capacity for electronic and physical communication cannot be guaranteed without sufficient energy.
Unfortunately the energy situation in Ghana is not the best. Crude oil prices are high and financial reserves are low. It is absolutely necessary for us to look for a sustainable alternative.
Bio-diesel as an efficient alternative to fossil diesel is now totally proven. Bio-diesel fuel stations with coconut and palm oil as base are now a common sight in the Far East.
The physic nut plant (jatropha) as a reliable renewable raw material base is now without question.
The United States get its bio-diesel from soybeans, which have only 19%. CTED recommends that Ghana should produce its bio-diesel from jatropha. A major advantage of the jatropha is that is can be harvested weekly continuously for at least 40 years. Presently, Ghana’s yearly requirement of diesel is less than one million tons; this can be covered by bio-diesel from jatropha oil.
At the moment palm oil is considered as the cheapest vegetable oil. Yet oil yield per hectare is just over 3,200 kgs and the economic life is about 22 years as against a yield of 7,000kgs per hectare for jatropha and economic life of at least 45 years.
However, the general energy policy should be mixed – hydro, wind solar, biomass and even nuclear.
Science and Technology
The success of the Asian Tigers economies can be attributed principally to the use of science and technology as the driving tool for the economy.
For example, between 1999 and 2002 the Korean Government established ten (10) new science research centers and twelve (12) engineering research centers increasing the total number of those centers to 83. Compared to Ghana we have about 15 poorly funded research centers within the Center for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
We need to streamline and encourage innovation in the science and technology sector. In fact we must use science and technology to resolve the challenges within the economy. For instance we must establish research institution for salt, rubber and plastics, vegetable oil, etc. in order to exploit the full benefits of the products. These institutes must be Research Development Products and Training Centers.
Information infrastructure Internet Technology
It is absolutely important that Ghana is not left behind in the computer and internet technology. Let us take a cue from South Korea where by the year 2000 the Government had completed the optical cable network in 107 of 144 major targeted regions. This included 80% completion of one-step on-line national administration service network and 50% completion of an on-line network project for schools. Moreover 80% of university students and 57.8% of elementary school students use the internet.
In 1999 computer courses were offered 300,000 housewives and 9,000 farmers and fishermen. Internet courses for 2,000.000 housewives and computer training for 100,000 elderly people were carried out for the year 2001.
Similar programs can be designed for targeted Ghanaians. In this regard every facility at our disposal – churches, various professional and voluntary groups, such as Lions Club, Rotary and Free Masons should be effectively utilized in a mass effort to make our people computer literate. This must be done with ingenuity, endeavor and uncompromising determination.

Finally it is important to recognize that the primary aim of every investor is to make money. Development if any takes place in the shadow of the investors activates. However, not all investments bring positive results. Some types of investments are a drain on the national economic. For best results, investments should take place in accordance with the pre-determined need to fulfill the objectives established in the national Input/Output Matrix data