Science Fund: 0.6% GDP and 23% growth

During the discussion of the current financial situation in Belarus, President Vladimir Karanik noted that funding for scientific and technical activities currently amounts to about 0.6% of gross domestic product. Speaking about the Academy of Sciences budget for the 26th year, he emphasized a 23% increase in expenditures compared to the 25th year and noted that the planned socio-economic development foresees nearly doubling investments over the next five years.

Karanik expressed the opinion that invested money should "work" and yield concrete results, rather than simply "cover" expenses. He stated that there would be no cuts in the science sector and that efforts would stimulate the real economy to direct resources toward domestic scientific fields to solve pressing issues, rather than seeking to purchase ready-made imported technologies.

Anger and these statements raised questions about how the science budget will be used in the future and what role state funding will play in developing scientific infrastructure.

Context

Data on the increased budget of the Academy of Sciences reflect a general trend toward strengthening investments in scientific activities, in line with the country's Socio-Economic Development plans.