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President hopes action calls for more funding for research

On 1 September, by signing an agreement on education, parliamentary parties pledged to increase public funding for education and science steadily from 2022 onwards.

The parties have predicted that by the end of 2030, the state budget allocations for R&D activities in higher education and the government sector will reach at least 1%. GDP, and by the end of 2024 – at least 0.75%. GDP.

It is tentatively estimated that an additional € 66.2 million will be needed in the budget next year to fund R&D to meet this target. euros.

According to the calculations of the Rectors’ Conference, in order to implement the agreement, an additional 67.7 million LTL should be spent on R&D activities in next year’s budget. EUR 24.1 million is earmarked for this purpose. euros.

Presidency: The agreement must be implemented

According to the President, the planned R&D funding is insufficient.

“According to the President, the current draft budget requires more funds to implement the 0.75% target for 2024. from GDP.

To be precise, about 23 million R&D are planned for today. euros. That balance or shortfall, as much as it would take for growth to be steady each year, is still about $ 44 million. “White Adviser to the Head of State spoke at a press conference at the presidency on Wednesday.”

Photo by Luke April / 15 minutes / Paulius Baltokas

The presidency, he said, has recently received more than 10 appeals from stakeholders regarding the implementation of the education agreement.

“The position of the President is that it must be carried out in full,” P. Baltok emphasized.

– Both the part that says that we need to support the appropriate decisions needed to ensure sustainable, even funding and the part that says that from 2022 onwards, with a steady increase in public budget appropriations, investment, R&D activities until 2024, 0.75 percent from GDP. To date, this figure is only 0.3%. “

The head of the country’s adviser noted that the increase in funding in the field of education is planned for next year, but this is not enough:

We cannot fail to learn from the experience when, at the end of European funding, we run out of sustainable budgetary resources to carry out certain activities.

“It is impossible not to see an increase in funding for education next year – probably a record increase. It is impossible not to see an increase in European funding for R&D, but we cannot fail to learn from the experience when, at the end of European funding, we lack sustainable budgetary resources to carry out certain activities. ”

Comments from the presidency:

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VIDEO: At the meeting, G. Nausėda discussed the financing of research and experimental development





Minister: Points are not added

The Minister of Education, Science and Sports J.Šiugždinienė did not promise that the funding for R&D will be increased even more – that the Government will decide on this.

“The government makes a decision after analyzing all the submitted proposals and assessing the situation after the discussions in the Seimas. The points have not been added and the discussion will take place, “the Minister commented.

She agreed that investment in science was crucial and that funding should increase.

Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Jurgita Šiugždinienė

Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Jurgita Šiugždinienė

That is the case.

“Next year, funding for education and science – for the whole field of education – will grow by 280 million. euros. <...> Funding for the implementation of the political party agreement is expected to increase by around € 270 million each year. euros “, said J.Šiugždinienė.

The Minister of Economy and Innovation Aušrinė Armonaitė also noted that it is important to finance R&D.

“In economic terms, investing public funds, not only private funds, in R&D is very important, because innovators are created by innovators, and innovators are educated in scientific institutions. We hope that the budget will reflect these priorities in working with the Minister and other colleagues on this, “she said at a news conference.

Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Dawn Armonaitė

Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Dawn Armonaitė

A.Žukauskas: the budget is not ambitious

According to Artūras Žukauskas, Chairman of the Seimas Committee on Education and Science, the draft budget lacks greater ambition in financing R&D.

If we talk about the budget, it is not ambitious in terms of research.

“When it comes to the budget, it is not ambitious in terms of research, and the saddest thing is that it is in these three areas – education, studies and science – that it lags far behind what is fixed in both the national agreement and what is in the budgets of civilized countries, “the parliamentarian commented.

However, according to him, there is a chance that “the greater ambition to finance R&D will be realized and the country will turn to the creation of higher economic, social and cultural value”.

Photo by Sigismund Gedvila / 15min / Artūras Žukauskas

Photo by Sigismund Gedvila / 15min / Artūras Žukauskas

The first reading of the budget is scheduled for Thursday in the Seimas, and the second on December 9.

The budget is due to be adopted on 14 December.

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