CUBA: Zanzibar President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi said science, technology and innovation are important for developing countries, especially in terms of social economy, as they can change the lives of their people through important sectors such as agriculture, energy and education.

President Mwinyi made the remarks during a speech at the Group of 77 Heads of State and Government Meeting with China representing the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, held at the conference hall, Havana, Cuba.

Dr. Mwinyi also recalled how developing countries were badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, by rising goods, political conflicts and the impact of climate change.

He said these are some of the challenges that have led to rising costs of living and undermining the economic recovery efforts of developing countries.

In his speech, he recalled how developed countries had squandered the technology to manufacture vaccines in southern countries and completely denied them technological support to produce vaccines, which led to the pharmaceutical companies of rich nations making huge profits by selling to poor countries the COVID-19 vaccine.

President Hussein Ali Mwinyi urged the G77 and China to take all this as a lesson and not to wait for help from rich nations, this is the time to say enough is enough.