Financial mechanisms for science and technology need to be innovative and breakthrough.

The major problem and bottleneck in current science and technology activities is the financial mechanism.

Boldly untie the knot

In the Report on the review of the draft Law on Science and Technology (amended) presented to the National Assembly on the morning of October 26, the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment agreed that one of the major obstacles and bottlenecks in current science and technology activities is the financial mechanism. Therefore, it is very necessary to fundamentally innovate the financial mechanism in science and technology activities to suit the characteristics of science and technology activities and it is necessary to affirm this innovation mechanism right in the document with high legal effect, the Law on Science and Technology (amended).

However, the change in financial mechanism is related to legal documents on finance, including the State Budget Law (which is being studied for amendment and supplement). Therefore, the Committee proposes that the Government and the National Assembly allow for breakthrough regulations and innovation in the financial mechanism for science and technology according to new perspectives in the Project "Developing science and technology to serve industrialization, modernization and international integration" submitted to the 6th Central Committee Conference of the Party.

The Committee also suggested that the Drafting Committee should carefully study this issue and have specific proposals to ensure compatibility with the legal system, but clearly demonstrate a specific mechanism for the field of science and technology considered a national policy.

The Committee on Science, Technology and Environment stated that the Draft Law also does not have specific regulations to mobilize social resources outside the budget for science and technology development, especially preferential policies for the subjects of this capital source.

To encourage organizations and individuals to contribute financially to science and technology activities, the Committee recommends amending regulations in relevant laws on taxes on assets and inherited assets as currently prescribed by the laws of some developed countries.

The Committee on Science, Technology and Environment proposed that the Drafting Committee study and absorb the opinions that the draft Law needs to have more specific regulations to force enterprises (depending on the type and scale of the enterprise) to allocate an appropriate proportion of pre-tax profits for science and technology activities or to form a science and technology development fund for the enterprise; at the same time, stipulate appropriate mechanisms to create initiative for enterprises in using this source of funding.

Maintaining the budget for science and technology at 2% is reasonable.

Regarding the regulation of minimum investment levels from the state budget and the responsibility of state management agencies on science and technology in managing, using properly and effectively the state budget for science and technology, the Committee on Science, Technology and Environment believes that this is an important issue that needs to be resolved.

However, the Government's Submission has not clarified the role and responsibility for unified management of science and technology of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the responsibility of the Government in allocating and using 2% of the state budget for science and technology according to the provisions of the current Law on Science and Technology, as well as different opinions in determining the responsibility of the state management agency for science and technology in managing, using properly and effectively the state budget for science and technology.

According to the Committee for Science, Technology and Environment, in recent years, the state budget for science and technology has not been fully implemented, nor has the effectiveness and quality of budget implementation been assessed. The reason is due to the capacity to implement investment, including poor management organization, and allocation of implementation capacity...

Therefore, the Committee on Science, Technology and Environment believes that maintaining the budget for science and technology at 2% is reasonable, but suggests that it is necessary to focus on innovating management to allocate and use the budget more effectively. In addition, the draft Law needs to more clearly stipulate the mechanism for combining the use of the budget and mobilizing non-budgetary resources for investment in science and technology in the direction of increasing the total social investment in science and technology, in which non-budgetary investment sources are increasingly dominant.

Regarding investment in developing science and technology potential, the Review report recommends that it is necessary to stipulate principles for state budget investment in science and technology development; avoid spreading investment, ensure investment efficiency; prioritize investment in key science and technology organizations such as national key laboratories, etc. In addition, the draft Law needs to stipulate the content of "investment in science and technology development" to clearly define the authority and responsibility of relevant ministries./.

According to (vov.vn) - LT