THE Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has called for the harmonisation of regulatory frameworks governing biotechnology to attract the investment needed to grow the sector.
She said regulatory uncertainty could undermine efforts to attract investment into Ghana’s growing biotechnology industry.
“Investors are prepared to meet strict regulatory requirements but may be discouraged when they are unsure about which institution to deal with, what requirements to meet, and how long approvals will take,” she said.
“Regulation is not the enemy of investment. Uncertainty is,” she added.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings was speaking at the launch of the Biosafety and Biotechnology Expo (BBExpo), organised by the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) in Accra yesterday.
The launch was held on the theme: “Biosafety Regulation as a Catalyst for Biotechnology Investment in Ghana.”
The two-day expo, scheduled for 2027, is expected to bring together regulators, researchers, universities, industry players, investors, students and farmers from across the country.
Among other issues, the expo will focus on biotechnology and its safe application.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said biotechnology was already being used in agriculture, healthcare, industry and environmental management and urged Ghana to move beyond being a user of biotechnology products to becoming a producer and developer of its own technologies.
She said a predictable regulatory system was particularly important as Ghana pursued its ambition of becoming a hub for vaccine development and manufacturing in Africa.
According to her, the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute under the National Vaccine Institute Act, 2023, had provided a foundation for building the country’s capacity to research, develop and manufacture vaccines locally.
She said Ghana was targeting the production of its first locally manufactured vaccine in 2027 and, therefore, needed a regulatory system capable of supporting that ambition.
“A vaccine manufacturing hub is not built with factories and equipment alone. It also requires scientific expertise, strong institutions and a regulatory system that investors, researchers, technology partners and the international community can trust,” she said.
The Minister said the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the NBA had different but related responsibilities in regulating biotechnology and vaccine development and should work together to provide clear processes for researchers and investors.
She said Ghana already had laws governing biosafety, including the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831), and the Biosafety Regulations (Management of Biotechnology), 2019 (L.I. 2383).
She noted that in 2022, the NBA approved the environmental release and commercialisation of Ghana’s first genetically modified crop, the pod borer-resistant Bt cowpea.
• Dr Agyeman-Rawlings
The Chief Executive Officer of the NBA, Mr Eric Dei, said the expo would also help address limited public understanding of biotechnology and biosafety regulations.
He said some researchers were not fully aware of regulatory requirements, while limited public understanding of how decisions were made could undermine confidence in the system.
“A citizen who has never been told how decisions are made has little reason to trust these decisions,” he said.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
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