EDITORIAL - Provide tax incentives for R&D
published:
Tuesday | June 17, 2008
Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa is definitely on the mark with his observation of Jamaica's need to pay greater attention to science and technology if it is to accelerate on the path to development.
Professor Kahwa is the dean of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies. He spoke in the context of a programme in which high school students are attached to research entities to enhance their appreciation of, and grounding in, scientific research.
"To understand the value of this research, we must ask ourselves, 'What are the steps that should be taken to construct the machinery where the country can move to the next level?'"
We have at least one suggestion, which we have offered before in these columns: the need for government policy to make research and development (R&D) affordable to firms.
Inadequate budgets
Indeed, few Jamaican firms, in whatever category, have R&D budgets, largely because they can ill-afford the expenditure. And if they do have such a budget, it is likely to be woefully inadequate.
The upshot, therefore, is that Jamaican scientists are more likely to be found in dusty corners of public bureaucracy, or in educational institutions plodding away in mostly unexciting endeavours. Breakthroughs, when or if they arrive, are usually against the odds, and because of personal sacrifice and perseverance.
We are not so naïve as to believe that it would lead to immediate transformation, but it would likely cause firms to invest in R&D if there were clear and explicit tax incentives for them to do so. It would help to bring risk-taking to science.
If the private sector is involved in research, it is more likely that it will be in the kinds of things that can be brought to market, thereby meeting one of Professor Kahwa's criteria for science and technology: wealth creation.
There would be another spin-off. In all likelihood, private firms would, for some of that R&D, partner with public institutions, such as universities. This bringing together of business and academia would benefit students and faculty, enhancing knowledge and bridging the gap between scientific ideas and enterprise.
Indeed, Prime Minister Golding, speaking recently at the Mico University College, underlined the need for practical research. We would suggest that he has a long conversation on the subject with his finance minister, Mr Audley Shaw, along the lines we have suggested.
Well said, Denham McIntyre
It is not often school principals go against the grain and talk the truth about the inadequacies and failures of many in their profession.
So, we wish to congratulate Denham McIntyre, the principal of Cornwall College, who has called for the licensing of teachers and the overhaul of the process by which education officers are appointed.
Too many teachers, Mr McIntyre argued, fail to perform - and with little or no consequences. He believes, it appears, that teaching is a special calling to which teachers, having accepted the position, should give their all. Perhaps!
We, however, believe in performance-based remuneration. Let's provide incentive pay to those teachers who show results, rather than allow the horde to piggy-back on the efforts of the few.
We know all the worn arguments against performance-based pay, which, of course, is a cop-out in favour of mediocrity.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.
