MP calls for establishment of innovation fund
VICE-Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Industry, Trade and Environment, Erick Shigongo, has advised the government to establish a National Innovation Fund that will help people to conduct researches and innovate new products.
Mr Shigongo issued the advice at the third conference on Business Development organised by the College of Business Education (CBE) when the Buchosa MP made a presentation on Creativity and Entrepreneurship.
He argued that no nation can grow without investing in creativity, innovation and research.
He said Tanzania is blessed with a good number of creative and innovative young people who can make changes and transform the nation into a creativity and technological hub in Africa if their talents and skills are recognised and supported.
“Tanzania has many young people who are creative designers but they fail to innovate and convert their creativity into business because they lack capitals, their ability in creativity is hidden by lacking financial and professional consultancy,” he said.
“If we are determined to move forward as a nation by increasing individuals’ and national income to achieve national development we must invest in creativity and technology, we must put money in creativity,” he stressed.
Mr Shigongo pointed out that Tanzania would be successful in the area of creativity by establishing the national innovation fund that would enable designers to conduct researches that would lead to quality and unique products for a competitive market.
He cited China as an example, saying 10 years back there was no single billionaire in China but when they decided to invest in creativity and technology, nowadays China produces half of the world’s billionaires, something that even Tanzania can do if only it decides.
Opening the conference, Zanzibar’s Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Ms Lela Mohamed Mussa, said there has been poor motivation on conducting research and even to use the research findings, something which also contributes to lack of creativity in the country.
“There has been a wrong belief in our country that people who can research are those who are experts or academia with Masters or Doctorate degrees. As a nation we need to have a joint strategy to prepare researchers from the initial levels as well as train our citizens the importance of research,” said Ms Lela.
The minister said all developed countries have been allocating a huge chunk of their national income to researches, for example in 2019 Israel spent about 4.1 per cent of their income for research development while the Republic of Korea spent 4.6 per cent.
She also advised the country to put more effort in investing in creativity and technology especially emphasising on research activities to enable citizens utilise their creativity skills and boost personal and national development in general.
