Takoradi — No nation can truly achieve a genuine economic growth and development without Science,Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills, the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), has stated.

It said the government, private sector and GhIE should harmonise efforts to facilitate the training and development of engineering practitioners.

Additionally, GhIE suggested that Ghana needed to create, implement and enforce national engineering standards that conformed to regional and international benchmarks.

The new President of GhIE, Mr KwabenaBempong, was speaking here at a news conference after a three-day discussions among stakeholders, industry captains and delegates at its 53rd annual general meeting held.

It was on the theme "Resilient engineering for national development".

Mr Bempong said for Ghana to achieve a sustainable practice of engineering, public, and private companies, the government and business owners must prioritise ethical behaviour and business practices.

This would promote transparency and fairness, including meritocracy in the development of leadership in succession planning, sustainable institutions and national development, he said.

The GhIE President added, "The crux of Ghana's innovators and brains are constantly being stripped away, lured with educational opportunities through scholarships and fellowships for postgraduate studies and specialisations.

"As a matter of urgency, government, industry and the GhIE should collaborate to provide the needed resources to improve the capacities of local educational institutions, research centres, and provide the needed opportunities for human capital development."

To achieve sustainable small scale mining, Mr Bempong called for the implementation of sustainable development policies, improving skill sets in environmental, social and governance practices, developing a sustainable reserve plan and effective enforcement.

"By adopting this comprehensive approach, we can reduce the environmental impacts of mining operations to promote the long-term social and economic benefits of small scale mining, and ensure that mining companies operate in an environmentally and socially responsible manner," he said.