MP: amount of science financing in Armenia to depend on budget capacity

 August 29, 2011 - 15:59 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Chair of the standing parliamentary committee on financial-credit and budgetary affairs, member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Gagik Minasyan found it hard to answer the question regarding the increase of science financing to be envisaged by the 2012 national budget.

As he said in a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, “it will be possible to clearly answer this question after the draft budget is brought to parliament within 90 days before the beginning of the fiscal year.”

“Presently, the issue is discussed by the government, and time is needed to bring it to the parliament floor”, he noted.

Minasyan also refuted statements by some scientists who claim that small amounts of science financing account for either lack of understanding of the significance of science for the future of the country or the fact that “scientists’ call is unheard”.

“When financing is not at a proper level, it does not necessarily mean underestimating the field. It is a matter of capacity,” he said.

Science financing in Armenia is 0.24-0.25% of the GDP, i.e. about $22 million. Among former soviet countries this index is lower in Kyrgyzstan only.

The scientists who formed a Facebook group calling for better financing of science, think the minimum threshold must be at 1% of the GDP, as a less sum would jeopardize national security.

They also note that at present there are 4500 scientists in Armenia while in Soviet Armenia the number reached 27000.